April 7th, 2015
More and more in the news we are seeing and hearing of organized crime syndicates targeting our trucking and logistics industry. While goods in transit by train, ship and air are generally more secure; distribution of product by road transportation is most vulnerable to criminal activities. In most instances, the valuable cargo of the trucks is of interest to criminals. This cargo is illegally obtained by hijacking the truck, fronting as another reputable logistics company or by identifying loopholes in the distribution chain.
The challenge that authorities face in fighting these crimes includes finding the stolen goods and having the tools available to identify stolen goods during inspections. There is a solution to this challenge.
Depending on what needs to be tracked or traced, products, documents and/or packages need to be marked with a secure PeltaTM 2D code. These 2D codes have an overt layer and covert layer of information. The overt layer is unprotected and contains any relevant information. The second patented 128 bit encrypted covert layer of information is protected in proprietary format and is used to authenticate a product or document.
Any scanner or smartphone can be given the right to scan these 2D codes. Once goods are stolen or fake documents are scanned, they are identified and flagged on the system. Law enforcement can then investigate and interrogate the source for further information.
In order to encourage the scanning of the codes, manufacturers can run rewards and loyalty programs that would be too attractive for customers or employees to ignore. As a result of the constant scanning, retailers of stolen goods would be at the behest of their customers. These goods would eventually become undesirable to stock and the demand for the goods would drop. Similarly, when fronting organisations realize that the reputable companies documentation contain the secure code, they are unlikely to front as them. Although these types of crimes are not likely to be eradicated completely, theft, hijackings and fronting are expected to decrease significantly.