Organized crime and domestic violence perps are big buyers of tracking devices

Tracking devices are in demand from organized crime groups and known perpetrators of domestic violence, according to an Australian study.

The headline findings of Project Hakea – conducted by the Crime Commission in the Australian State of New South Wales and released yesterday – were that the top 100 purchasers of tracking devices are twice as likely as other buyers to have been the subject of Apprehended Violence Orders (AVOs) that require them not to harass, intimidate or stalk a protected person, and 2.4 times more likely to be known for serious and organized crime offending.

The study considered GPS trackers and consumer-grade Bluetooth trackers such as Apple AirTags, Samsung Smart Tags, and Tiles. In all 5,163 trackers, purchased by 3,147 customers in 4,176 transactions, were considered. That dataset was considered too large to investigate every customer with criminal history – but after analysis through an unspecified "extensive data matching process" that saw the Commission conclude:

37 percent of customers were adversely known to the NSW Police Force for criminal behavior; 15 percent of customers were known to the NSW Police Force for involvement in serious and organized crime activity; 25 percent of customers had a recorded history of domestic violence; 126 customers were Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) defendants at the time they purchased a tracking device, including some customers who purchased a tracking device in the days after an AVO was enforced.

It also led to the discovery of "three drug supply syndicates that were previously unknown to law enforcement."

And there's a decent chance those syndicates were using trackers to help them perpetrate violent crime. The study found the devices "featured in at least 20 completed or attempted acts of organized crime violence, including three murders, three planned or attempted murders, one drive-by shooting, three kidnappings, five planned or attempted kidnappings, one home invasion, and four planned or attempted violent drug thefts since 2016."

One of the murders was entirely unconnected to organized crime, as detailed in this horrific case study from the report:

Another chilling finding was that "Tracking devices have enabled the emergence of 'contract crews,' hired to carry out serious acts of violence."

Such crews take contracts to undertake murder, kidnapping, and drug theft on behalf of organized crime networks – and the first thing they do after accepting a job is to buy fresh trackers.

"The Commission is aware that OCNs involved in organized violence consider tracking devices to be key for the success of each job," the study states, noting that physical surveillance and drones are also employed.

In its consideration of domestic and family violence (DFV), the study noted that of 96 offenders charged with unlawful use of tracking devices between 2010 and 2023, 79 were charged in relation to a domestic violence event. Magnetic GPS trackers were the most common devices used by the 96 offenders (31 events) with Bluetooth trackers used in 16 events.

The Commission reviewed more than a dozen NSW Police Force investigations that were initiated after the offender directly told the victim they had placed a tracking device on their vehicle. The study found that "The offender often informed the victim that they were using a tracking device to gather information about the victim's new address or new partner, or that they intended to use the location data to defame the victim in Court or within their social circles."

Almost 25 percent of customers identified in the study had been recorded as the person of interest in at least one domestic violence event. Of those, 169 had been recorded as the person of interest in five or more domestic violence events, and 80 had been recorded in ten or more events.

The study also found a nexus between participation in organized crime and using trackers in a domestic setting.

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The study therefore recommends changes to laws that will restrict sale of tracking devices – including by prohibiting sales for illegal applications and promotion of the devices' applicability for such purposes. Anti-stalking features that detect unauthorized tracking devices are already present in the latest versions of Android and iOS, though not all manufacturers of such devices support the system yet.

The document also points out that many legitimate applications for trackers exist, but that the prevalence of buyers who use them for evil means additional regulation is needed. ®