Cutting out cargo crime
Recent police certification awarded to Fraport and its subsidiary Fraport Cargo Services underlines the security measures employed by the group.

The certification was preceded by the introduction of a newly-developed freight delivery procedure, which will in the future make it virtually impossible for criminals to take possession of incoming cargo in Frankfurt by using manipulated delivery documents.

To obviate this possibility, a monitoring system has been installed in the freight delivery area and images are collected through video surveillance. As a general rule, recordings are saved for ten days. Access to data evaluation can only be granted on special occasions. Customers collecting freight need to identify themselves by presenting a valid identity card and personal data is entered on all freight documents by the collecting customers themselves. Entered data is matched with that of the identity card by staff of the freight delivery. Supplied freight documents are checked with a special light for water marks and all documents are provided with a time stamp. In the case of irregularities, and only under such circumstances, the collecting customer can be identified by video surveillance on the basis of the airway bill number and the time stamp on the freight documents. In the near future the introduction of a barcode for freight documents is also planned, which could accelerate handling procedures even more.

Experts in freight security at Fraport Cargo Services and the data protection commissioner at Fraport were significantly involved in developing the new procedures.

“The security standard we have now achieved compromises neither the personal rights of the collecting person nor those of our employees. Despite the deployment of video surveillance, our specialists have succeeded in designing economic and efficient handling procedures, with no constraints regarding data protection regulations and which are met with positive response by both the criminal investigation department and our customers,” explained Dr Stefan Schulte, Deputy Chairman of the Board at Fraport, on the occasion of the certification ceremony.

It is generally thought that this initiative will be viewed as a benchmark by others in the freight industry.