After an item is produced by a manufacturer, it is shipped to the customer. This period of transit becomes an ideal opportunity for cargo thieves to strike. And these days, cargo criminals have a new tool of deception at their disposal.
“Cargo criminals are relying on a new tool of deception.”
This deceptive method became clear during an incident that involved the shipment of pharmaceutical equipment. To ensure that the contents of the shipments arrived safely and intact, the manufacturer sealed the container doors with high security bolt seals.
When the delivery arrived at its destination, the seals were untouched – or at least that appeared to be the case at first. But once the customer went to remove the seals and examine the merchandise, it was discovered that the bulk of the intended contents were missing. As it turns out, the security seals – which had seemed legitimate – were fakes, the result of 3D printing technology.
The problem is not just that this incident happened in the first place – it’s that carrying out this crime wasn’t especially hard. As SpedLogSwiss – a logistics company that discussed the incident – pointed out to Securing Industry, the 3D printing process that created the phony seals can be carried out in as little as 10 minutes. With this expedient and convincing means of fakery out there, it’s not surprising that criminals are looking to deploy it.
“The advantages of this technology have already been discovered by the organized crime,” SpedLogSwiss stated to Securing Industry.
For manufacturers and retailers, this could spell trouble, since the ability of criminals to create fraudulent but realistic-looking security seals in a short time means that the amount of cargo theft could increase dramatically. One key solution to this growing problem lies in deploying better safety seals.
The importance of leveraging a trusted security seals provider
Here at CONTROLTEK, we’re security seals experts, and our huge range of seals can be applied to any job. Our experience and continued dedication to developing top-tier seal technology means we’re able to offer customers seals that won’t be tampered with in the first place. Here are some of the features our various seals have that help stop the tampering that accompanies a successful cargo theft:
- Stainless steel spring locking mechanisms, such as those offered with our ShurLOK and j-LOK products make tampering a very difficult feat.
- Tamper evident sealing like the kind our TapeLOK sealing tape provides. This sealing tape functions to display a hidden VOID message if it’s tampered with in any way, which can prevent the same confusion that arose during the pharmaceutical cargo theft.
Don’t let your shipment fall victim to increasingly tech-savvy criminals. Confront these crooks with shipping seals that are even more advanced. With our wide selection of options, CONTROLTEK can help your shipments get there intact.