Satellites Help Slash Karachi Car Thefts, Kidnaps
Thu October 23, 2003 10:04 PM ET
(Page 1 of 4)
By David Brunnstrom
KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - Unpleasant shocks await car thieves in Karachi.
With the click of a computer mouse, a satellite tracking system allows remote operators to seize control of the stolen vehicle, bring it grinding to a halt, and snap its locks shut as police swoop in.
"One of my friends' cars was snatched, but he got it back within an hour because of this system," said Saleem Khan, owner of Samad Rent-a-Car Co in the grimy Pakistani port city. He has had the system installed in six of his new cars.
"In Karachi, there are lot of incidents of car theft and snatching," he said. "It's very useful. We feel more secure."
Police say nearly 300 cars are stolen in Karachi every month.
Behind the satellite system, known as Trakker, stands businessman and crime fighter Jameel Yusuf, who won fame last year by helping police track down the killers of U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl by using computers to analyze mobile phone records.
His firm, Trakker Pvt Ltd -- a collaboration with South Africa's DigiCore Holdings, which provided 30 percent of the $1.5 million investment -- uses satellite technology to track and recover vehicles. |
