GPS Tracking Device Catches Olympics Terrorist Suspect
12 Jul 2012The 2012 Olympic Games will kick off in just a couple of weeks — on July 27th to be exact. This year’s 17-day global event will be held in the high-profile city of London, where many notable dignitaries, politicians, celebrities, and countless visitors will be watching the events live as they unfold.
Olympic representatives, city officials, and law enforcement agencies have made not only the safety of visitors to and residents of this UK city a top priority, but the Olympic athletes themselves. Stringent security measures have been put into place, including the use of GPS tracking devices to help keep everyone safe, including from potential terrorist acts.
And it seems like the strict security measures are working. Thanks to a GPS monitoring device, British officials have re-arrested an accused terrorist for repetitively wandering too close to London’s Olympic Park, where many Olympic events and attractions will be held.
Known as “”CF”, the 24-year old man, was ordered to wear a GPS device in June after allegedly taking public transportation that traveled too close to the Olympic venue, which violated government restrictions on travel. Earlier in the year, CF was placed under the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measure (TPIM) program, which required him to wear an electronic monitoring tag. He was one of the first suspects to become a participant in Britain’s new TPIM program.
With the permission of a high court, the TPIM program enables the British government to impose restrictions on any person who “the Secretary of State reasonably believes… is or has been involved in terrorism-related activity” or anyone where a TPIM could help protect terrorism acts from the public. According to the British Home Office, a TPIM can be used on “individuals who pose a real terrorist threat, but whom we cannot prosecute or, in the case of foreign nationals, deport.”
While no firm evidence was found to result in prosecution, CF was thought to be a terrorist suspect following a tip that he traveled to Afghanistan to participate in terrorist training — and to take part in suicide terrorist bombing missions.
Particularly in the face of high-profile global events — like the Olympic Games — the use of GPS tracking systems as part of heightened security measures is the logical next move forward in monitoring persons of interest or terrorist suspect to protect the public from potential terrorism attacks.
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