Europol says Bluetooth tracker use by criminals is rising

Europol has said that organised criminal groups are increasingly deploying Bluetooth trackers to tag and geolocate illicit commodities.

An early warning notification (PDF) from the international enforcement agency notes that the devices – commonly used to help people find personal objects like keys or vehicles – are primarily being deployed by illegal drug gangs, but points out that the tech lends itself to any illicit product in shipment.

They can also be used to mark items like high-value vehicles of theft, in migrant smuggling, and for locating illicit shipments on arrival in port.

The trackers emit a Bluetooth signal which can be detected by a paired device, and their location is shown on a map in a mobile app or web browser. The range of the signal varies from approximately 10 to 120 metres in radius, but can be detected by nearby mobile devices that are also connected to a tracker from the same manufacturer.

That means they can be geolocated even when far removed from their owner – in this case the organised crime gang. Some trackers also support precision finding at close proximity via ultra wideband technology.

Criminals have used GPS trackers for many years, but these tend to have a relatively short battery life, can have their signal obstructed by solid structures, and unlike Bluetooth trackers may not be waterproof.