Glue technology gives a sticky end to CIT crime

New ‘glue’ technology developed by security firm G4S is playing a vital role in tackling cash-in-transit (CIT) crime. It was most recently used in the detection and conviction of two CIT criminals in London, who were sentenced at the Old Bailey after a cash theft at a Lloyds TSB branch in South London.

It is the first time there has been a successful conviction of a CIT crime where glue technology has been used, a system that is built into cash boxes to bind and prevent use of the contents.

The technology is the very latest to be used by the security industry to tackle crime in the UK. It works by releasing a glue substance inside the cashbox when someone tries to open it. Should the person try to recover the notes, the process will cause them to delaminate, rendering the bank notes in the cashbox completely unusable and of absolutely no gain to the perpetrator.

The glue also contains existing technologies in dye, which stains the notes, and SmartWater, a forensic solution invisible to the naked eye but detectable under UV light. The DNA-style code within SmartWater stays on the person that has breached the cashbox for up to six months and will link the individual to a specific attack. The solution has a 100 per cent conviction rate when used as evidence in criminal cases.

G4S says use of this technology has played a key role in detecting perpetrators of CIT crime, helping to bring them to justice while acting as a clear deterrent to potential criminals.

The investment in technology and a strong working relationship between the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and the security industry has seen the number of CIT crimes in London dramatically reduced.

Detective Superintendent Nick Stevens said: “This [latest conviction] is a fantastic result for the MPS working in partnership with the CIT industry using the latest technology to arrest and convict criminals. The conviction should assist in deterring other criminals who think that committing CIT robberies are a quick and easy way to get cash.

“This latest technology is a new weapon in the fight against CIT robberies and adds to the MPS’s already excellent partnership work with the industry which has seen the number of such robberies fall significantly year on year. “

Gavin Windsor, risk director at G4S, added: “In recent years, there has been a dramatic reduction in the number of cash robberies and a contributing factor is the close working relationship that the security industry has with the MPS to tackle crime. The shared intelligence and continued introduction of new technology means that the chances of being caught and convicted are higher than ever. It’s particularly pleasing to see from this case how the recently-introduced glue solution in cash boxes ensures that any money stolen becomes completely unusable for the criminal, effectively removing any reward for committing CIT crime.”

Tackling the traffickers: how technology can help

Despite the growing prevalence of human trafficking and the universal condemnation it attracts, most of the UK’s judicial system has no involvement with it and does not deploy any resources towards actively tackling it. Human trafficking is a problem that all parts of the system should be taking increasingly seriously. Currently, there is little evidence that this is the case.

Today, law enforcement agencies are typically reliant on information that they receive unprompted – often from members of the public. If they really want to get to grips with the problem, they need to be more proactive in gathering information.

In both the resources put into tackling human trafficking and the sophistication of the approach, agencies typically fall short of the way in which they tackle terrorism. This should not be allowed to continue. After all, human trafficking is a problem that is similar to terrorism in its scope, importance and effect and therefore needs to be dealt with in a similarly rigorous way.