GPS trackers for Cattle Carrying Trucks to Curb Extortion and Robbery
In a bid to prevent extortion and robbery on cattle-carrying trucks ahead of Eid-ul-Adha, the interim government of Bangladesh is set to implement the use of GPS trackers and dash cameras on long-haul livestock transport vehicles.
According to sources from the Highway Police and the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), authorities plan to install these surveillance tools on select trucks. Although it may not be feasible to equip every truck, groups of 10 to 15 cattle trucks traveling together will have at least one vehicle fitted with both a GPS tracker and a dash camera.
Confirming the initiative, Additional Inspector General of Police and Head of the Highway Police Md. Delwar Hossain Miah said, “Plans have been made to install GPS-enabled dash cameras on cattle trucks and buses. We are hopeful that this will help us monitor and respond to incidents of robbery, extortion, and other untoward events on the roads.”
While the Highway Police may not be able to equip every vehicle with surveillance technology, they have decided to deploy undercover detectives inside the trucks to detect and prevent extortion and robbery. These officers will ride beside the drivers. Trucks will also display banners indicating the cattle market they are heading to, enabling authorities to track movement and intentions more easily.
To ensure drivers can swiftly contact law enforcement in case of emergencies, leaflets containing police helpline numbers and local station contacts will be distributed. Additionally, special mobile court teams and intelligence personnel will be deployed to tackle issues such as drugging gangs, fraudulent currency, and criminal syndicates.
Essential information, including cattle market listings and emergency assistance contacts, will be made available through a dedicated website. Further measures include an increase in mobile patrol units, on-duty pickup teams, sub-control rooms, quick response teams, motorcycle units, community volunteer teams, and the provision of emergency ambulance services at major cattle markets. There will also be coordinated operations between district and metropolitan law enforcement.
Additional DIG Shamsul Alam of the Highway Police's HR and Admin Division stated, “Each driver will be provided with a leaflet containing contact numbers for every police station and control room. If a driver faces danger in any area, they can immediately call the relevant police station for assistance.” He also mentioned that cattle market committees have been instructed to install counterfeit currency detection machines and that banks will set up booths at markets to minimize the need for traders to carry large amounts of cash. These booths will allow cattle traders to securely deposit their money on-site.
