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Radio IMPLANTS in COLOMBIA COMING soon

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article458...

Mexicans turn to radio implants as kidnaps soar
(Alfredo Estrella/AFP/Getty Images)
Signs such as these are a common sight in Mexico, which has the world's worst kidnapping record

Mike Harvey, Technology Correspondent
Rich Mexicans, terrified of soaring kidnapping rates, are having tiny radio transmitters planted under their skin so they can be quickly tracked and rescued.

Hundreds of people, including a growing number of middle-class Mexicans, are buying the tiny chip designed by Xega, a Mexican security firm.

Kidnapping jumped almost 40 per cent between 2004 and 2007 in Mexico, which has surpassed conflict zones like Iraq and Colombia to register the highest kidnapping rates in the world, according to a recent study.

This week the administration of President Felipe Calderon pledged to develop an anti-kidnapping strategy within six months, after a meeting with the country’s top judges, congressional leaders, governors and mayors.

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The recent kidnapping and murder of Fernando Marti, 14, the son of a well-known businessman, sparked widespread outrage, After allegations of police involvement in Mr Marti's kidnapping, his father called on politicians to act to curb increasing crime.

"If you think this task is impossible, resign," Alejandro Marti told the meeting, adding that they would be contributing to corruption if they maintained their posts and failed to act. "We have to recover confidence in our institutions, in our state, in our country."

Xega injects the crystal-encased chip, the size and shape of a grain of rice, into clients’ bodies with a syringe. A transmitter in the chip then sends radio signals to a larger device carried by the client with a global positioning system inside.

A satellite can then pinpoint the location of a person tied up in a safe house or stuffed in the trunk of a car.

Most people get the chips injected into their arms between the skin and muscle where they cannot be seen. Customers who fear they are being kidnapped press a panic button on an external device to alert Xega, which then calls the police.

“Before, they only kidnapped key, well-known economically successful people like industrialists and landowners. Now they are kidnapping people from the middle class,” said Sergio Galvan, Xega’s commercial director.

The company designed global positioning systems to track stolen vehicles until a company owner was kidnapped in broad daylight in 2001. Frustrated by his powerlessness to call for help, Xega adapted the technology to track stolen people.

Cristina, 28, who did not want to give her last name, was implanted along with seven other members of her family last year as a “preventive measure.” “It’s not like we are wealthy people, but they’ll kidnap you for a watch. ... Everyone is living in fear,” she said. The chips cost $4,000 plus an annual fee of $2,200.

Most kidnappings in Mexico go unreported, many of them cases of “express kidnapping” where the victim is grabbed and forced to withdraw money from automatic cash machines.

Official statistics show 751 kidnappings in Mexico last year, but the independent crime research institute ICESI says the number could have exceeded 7,000. In Mexico City alone, official figures showed 323 reported kidnappings in the first half of this year, approaching the figure of 438 for the whole of 2007.

The Government has promised to build two new maximum security prisons with a special area for kidnappers within two years, trying to address concerns that new gangs arise in low security penitentiaries.

All organised crime suspects will be moved to existing high security prisons within 30 days. A purge of corrupt police, some of whom are said to afford protection to criminals, will also be carried out.

Xega sees anti-kidnapping devices as a growth industry and is planning to expand its services next year to Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela.

By mariacvetanoski on Dec 4, 2008, 13:53 in Politics & the war.

mariacvetanoski says on Dec 4, 2008, 13:53:

Xega sees anti-kidnapping devices as a growth industry and is planning to expand its services next year to Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela.

Save the street children of Colombia Now!!

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Robert Jorge says on Dec 4, 2008, 14:23:

$4000 and $2200 as in US dollars? If so, that is super expensive.

He who farts in church, sits in his own pew.

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ColombianoGringo (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Dec 4, 2008, 14:31:

The initial cost isn't too bad, but I don't see the reason for the $2,200 a year. The tracking only needs to be activated in the event of a kidnapping.

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Mononoke28 says on Dec 4, 2008, 15:12:

And these people don't think that kidnappers won't mind chopping off an arm, a leg, or wherever else these chips may have been implanted? They always one up the government and they don't care what they have to do to get what they want, especially in Mexico.

And yeah, damn $2000? My cat's chip was only $45. =D

Diana

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ColombianoGringo (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Dec 4, 2008, 15:32:

Yeah, but your cat's chip is just an RFID, not a GPS transmitter.

I guess theyd better get chipped somewhere they can't cut off.

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whitewidow says on Dec 4, 2008, 20:35:

$2200 a year service fees are the "residual revenue" factor - a damn good one at that! Sounds extremely profitable. I wonder how many a year they implant?

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TheYoungEngineer says on Dec 4, 2008, 22:43:

The funny thing is what they implant is nothing more than a standard rfid tag... the real deal is a portable gps reciever with a cellular data modem which probably gets triggered if it is taken far away from the rfid tag implanted. If you can turn off that while keeping it close enough to the chip nothing will happen haha. This technology is new,,, and not very useful IMO. Some company is just making a good buck off people who want a false sense of security.

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ColombianoGringo (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Dec 5, 2008, 07:52:

So you have to carry a separate GPS unit with you anyway? That seems kind of useless. Shit, for that matter, most newer cellphones already have GPS built in and several mobile companies have tracking services.

You could always just wear one of those child gps locator watches.

http://www.childlocator.com/

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miamimike says on Dec 5, 2008, 07:58:

Most of this Violence, other then a few isolated cases, has been in the Border areas such as Tijuana, El Paso ect. Friends of mine who live in Guadalajara report no increase in Crime out of the ordinary for normal everyday folks. Considering the alternatives, this Tracking device may be the cheaper alternative.

Avatar Legend: Bush "If any of you Reporters are wondering, it was a Size 10"

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ColombianoGringo (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Dec 5, 2008, 08:00:

Yeah, but it is pointless. If you have to carry a separate repeater device, it is worthless. The kidnappers would rid you of any electronics and you'd be back to fucked.

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TheYoungEngineer says on Dec 5, 2008, 08:17:

The point of the device is that if your personal repeater is separated from you then it will send a warning,,, and hopefully the police/your own private security guards can get to whatever location fast enough that you are not far away by the time they get there

Sadly the device is a rip off IMO. There is only one rfid tag available that is certifiable to be implanted in humans, and it can only be read from a short distance away. (and it costs a lot less than what they are charging) (cattle tags are almost exactly the same and are very inexpensive) The only other expense is the repeater and that is in no where near the cost they are charging.

An actual implantable tracking device that could be used in a human would have to be very simple, no gps or anything. It would also need to be certified in whatever country they are implanting it. Currently there is nothing on the market that can do that. And an active device that could be read from a distance would be scary, with all the concerns of cellphones causing rf damage a permanent device would concern me about cancer and other effects due to rf heating. (and you would probably have to charge the device through your skin at night or something)

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ColombianoGringo (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Dec 5, 2008, 08:39:

Well that settles it. I'm sporting one of these from now on.

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Mononoke28 says on Dec 5, 2008, 10:49:

Is that the one your wife gave you? =D

Diana

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ColombianoGringo (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Dec 5, 2008, 11:14:

Yeah, but I'm getting her some of that Brazilian GPS lingerie.

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Mononoke28 says on Dec 5, 2008, 14:20:

LOL!!

Diana

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davidslc46 says on Dec 5, 2008, 16:19:

Personally I am going to play with this for a while.

http://www.brickhousesecurity.com/h0001.html

I am betting I will not be kidnapped by anyone that sophisticated.

I am betting I won't get kidnapped as well but I thought for the price and no monthly fees this would be fun to experiment with.

David

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billyb says on Dec 5, 2008, 23:32:

"Well that settles it. I'm sporting one of these from now on."

jaja, you better hide it in your underwear then. Maybe even wrap it around the unit, LOL.

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lpdiver says on Dec 6, 2008, 06:29:

Me I don't worry about it. Who the hell wants to kidnap this coonass?

ts

"cook some rice!"

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