Criminals exploit Bluetooth trackers

Bluetooth trackers like Apple AirTag are becoming increasingly popular among organized crime groups, warns Europol.

Bluetooth tracking devices are designed to help people find objects such as keys, bags, and cars. Owners attach them to valuable items they don’t want to lose.

Europol published a warning claiming that criminals have been increasingly using these devices to geolocate illicit commodities.

“The vast majority of cases reported to Europol relate to cocaine smuggling. These trackers have been discovered most frequently alongside cocaine in container shipment of food products, but have also been found hidden in sea chests within sea vessels,” Europol noted.

Drug traffickers use these devices to track illicit cargo movement across seas, roads, and storage locations.