Tracking Stolen Vehicles with Sigfox Technology from Heliot

Tracking Stolen Vehicles with Heliot’s Sigfox 0G Radio Technology: On average, 45 cars are stolen every day in Germany. The perpetrators are often professional gangs. Modern radio technology helps private investigators like Gerrit Walgemoet locate stolen vehicles, high-quality construction equipment, and entire truck trailers. Together with the local police, he secures the stolen goods and returns them to their owners.

(Grasbrunn) Private investigator Walgemoet knows that common tracking technologies like GPS are increasingly reaching their limits. Therefore, the professional recommends that private owners, companies, and leasing firms additionally equip their vehicles and equipment with Heliot’s Sigfox 0G radio technology. The technology often helps precisely when proven methods fail and is particularly discreet, robust against targeted interference, and enables quick location even in remote areas and in many countries worldwide thanks to the Sigfox 0G network.

The thieves know their business: They are aware of the treasure parked in the garage next to the stylish single-family home in the Cologne suburb. The garage door is quickly pried open. The sound of the lock being picked and the ignition being short-circuited takes only a few minutes. Then the yellow Porsche 911 T drives out of the garage, turns onto the street, and disappears into the darkness – almost as if nothing happened. But for the owner of the rare classic car, the rude awakening awaits the next morning. “Behind car thefts are usually organized gangs. And truck trailers and high-quality construction equipment like excavators, generators, or wheel loaders are also popular targets,” says Gerrit Walgemoet. The private investigator specializes in recovering stolen vehicles and equipment and knows the milieu well. After all, he led a special unit of the Dutch customs investigation that dealt with investigations related to organized theft, embezzlement, odometer fraud, and staged accidents for years before starting his own business. Later, he dealt with these issues at a Dutch insurance company.

Tracking and Securing Stolen Vehicles – with the Right Technology

According to the Federal Criminal Police Office, nearly 16,500 vehicles were stolen in Germany alone in 2021 – that corresponds to 45 stolen vehicles per day. “The thieves are usually absolute professionals,” says Gerrit Walgemoet. “They know where the vehicles are parked and when they can strike best. Often, the stolen goods are moved hundreds of kilometers from the crime scene on the same day and even taken abroad. That’s where we come in. The first hours are often crucial for success.” The clients of Gerrit Walgemoet include insurance companies, leasing firms, as well as private individuals and businesses. The private investigator is tasked with locating the vehicle and securing it in cooperation with the local police.

Around 250 cases land with the investigator each year, of which Gerrit Walgemoet can solve 94 percent. An outstanding performance – in 2019, he was even awarded as the best investigator in Europe by the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators. Gerrit Walgemoet is supported by modern technology. “There are now a variety of technologies that facilitate the recovery of stolen vehicles. GPS tracking is probably the most well-known, and there are also solutions via LTE, Wifi, GSM-R, or even passive tracking, where the vehicle sends a signal once or twice a day,” says Gerrit Walgemoet. “A relatively new alternative is tracking using Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technology from Heliot, which communicates over the Sigfox 0G radio network.”

Robust Signal That Remains Undetected by Thieves

Communication over the Sigfox 0G radio network offers significant advantages for Gerrit Walgemoet. Unlike GPS and Wifi signals, LPWAN radio signals are usually undetected by thieves and can hardly be disabled by jammers. “Professional car thieves are now very familiar with GPS, LTE, or Wifi signals. With special devices, they can quickly determine whether the vehicle is emitting corresponding signals and effectively disable them with jammers,” explains Gerrit Walgemoet. “The devices for this can now be easily and cheaply obtained.” There is corresponding equipment available online for well under 1,000 euros. Heliot’s radio technology is significantly more robust. Once installed, the devices reliably and energy-efficiently send their signal. This is also due to the physical properties of LPWAN technology. Unlike other telecommunications standards, the signal allows only the transmission of very small data volumes, but it achieves an enormous range and has an extremely effective interference protection. This makes it ideal for vehicle tracking applications.

“Tracking systems are only useful as long as they remain undetected by thieves. Transmitters in the glove compartment or in the fuse box of the vehicle’s electronics are often immediately discovered and deactivated by thieves,” says Gerrit Walgemoet. “Active tracking technologies with a comparatively high energy consumption are at a disadvantage here. They can only be installed where a corresponding power supply is possible. Of course, car thieves know this too.” Here again, Heliot’s technology offers advantages: The transmitters are space-saving and handy. Thanks to their low energy consumption, they can be operated maintenance-free via battery for up to four years. An additional power supply from the vehicle battery is not necessary. Thus, they can also be installed in places in the car that are not easily accessible – for example, in cavities in the vehicle underbody or well hidden in the engine compartment.

Tracking Stolen Goods in Europe – Thanks to a Well-Developed Network

A particular advantage arises from the fact that Heliot’s solution for data transmission utilizes the Sigfox radio network. The network is nearly universally available in many countries. In addition to the DACH region, the network coverage is also largely gapless in France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Croatia, as well as the Benelux Union and the Baltic States. “We already cover many areas in several Eastern European countries like Poland, Romania, and Hungary with the Sigfox network and are continuously expanding the network,” says Martin Liboswar, Country Manager at Heliot Europe. “One example is the initiative for network expansion along the trans-European railway corridor, which we started earlier this year with Sigfox Ukraine.” Additionally, Heliot took over the Sigfox network operations in Denmark and the United Kingdom in June. An important step to further improve network expansion in these countries. “Car thieves usually operate internationally. The vehicles are often taken abroad within hours,” says Gerrit Walgemoet. “Therefore, it is important that vehicle tracking is also possible across national borders. The Sigfox network provides good conditions for this – and furthermore works in remote areas, such as in the countryside.”

Sigfox operates in a frequency range of 868 MHz. The low-frequency signals in these radio bands can easily cover larger distances of up to 50 kilometers. This allows for tracking even in rural areas where the expansion of the traditional mobile network is often not yet possible on a broad scale. The radio signals have such good penetration that they are much less affected by concrete ceilings and steel than many other technologies. This was also the case with the Porsche 911. Gerrit Walgemoet located the vehicle in a garage on an abandoned farm just behind the Dutch border. Together with the local authorities, the vehicle was quickly secured and can be transported back to its owner. There is no trace of the thieves. The car was probably just parked here temporarily – a precaution to ensure that all tracking devices are turned off.

Excellent Complement to Proven Technologies

Another case solved for Gerrit Walgemoet. Meanwhile, the investigator also advises large leasing companies and insurance firms. “Especially in vehicle recovery, it is important to rely on multiple technologies,” recommends the private investigator. “With its properties, Sigfox radio technology is an excellent complement to proven technologies. It addresses exactly where the gangs already feel the safest. This makes the technology particularly interesting for us.”

Photo: © Loginfo24 / Caption: Up to 45 vehicles are stolen daily in Germany, including entire truck trailers.