Datatag Latest News
STOLEN SKID-STEER IDENTIFIED AND RECOVERED IN SHARJAH
A stolen JCB skid-steer loader has been identified and recovered in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates thanks to the help of Datatag. The machine belonging to A-Plant was registered with the CESAR (Construction Equipment Security and Registration) scheme and fitted with the Datatag security system.
The skid-steer was stolen and quickly shipped from the UK to Gibraltar and then carried across the Mediterranean Sea and down through the Suez Canal to Oman where it was unloaded and trucked into Sharjah, in the UAE. The thieves had attempted to hide it's identity by removing the unique CESAR registration plates but they could not find or remove the hidden, miniature, Datatag transponders or the thousands of microscopic Datadots or the millions of Datatag forensic DNA molecules protecting the valuable A-Plant machine.
The machine was also fitted with the A-Trak system that uses mobile GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) devices; through this tracking system Enigma was able to locate the machine in Sharjah. Working with an undercover representative Engma were able to visit the location of the machine in Sharjah and establish who the people were who were holding it. Eleven days after the machine was stolen in England Datatag scanning equipment was used to confirm the true identity of the JCB and remove any doubt that the true registered keeper was A-Plant. Three days later the Sharjah Police took two suspects into custody and recovered the JCB skid-steer loader which is now on its way back to the UK.
Asif Latief, Marketing Director of A-Plant, had this to say on hearing the news………."We’re delighted with the successful recovery of our Skid-Steer Loader. It shows that by having a combination of leading anti-theft devices and state-of-the-art tracking, recovery, official registration and identification technology we’re making it harder than ever for criminals to steal equipment and avoid being traced. We look forward to working with the CESAR Scheme, Datatag and Enigma to ensure that we continue to have market leading systems making the industry less of a target to organized crime."
Kevin Howells, Director of Datatag ID the company that administers the CESAR scheme, commented………"We’re clearly delighted that the effectiveness of CESAR registration combined with the Datatag Identification Technology has proved invaluable in such unusual circumstances. It's virtually impossible for thieves to find and remove the hidden Datatag security technology on a CESAR equipped machine. The Police and others in authority can always identify a CESAR protected machine using the correct equipment. The scheme is gathering momentum with the list of leading manufacturers fitting CESAR as standard including Doosan, JCB, Manitou, Merlo, Hanix, NC Dumpers, Bomag, Bobcat and Takeuchi. Many more OEM's are planning to join the CESAR Scheme. I would like to commend all of the Police officers who took part in this operation, Ian Keam George of Enigma and in particular A-Plant, for leading the way within the Hire Industry by adopting such an effective range of security measures including the standard fitment of CESAR".
