Contigo, a provider of turn-key GPS solutions for asset tracking, fleet management and personal safety, has announced that their GPS tracking system enabled the recovery of a series of high-value stolen goods and helped break up two theft rings.

The first theft ring was uncovered after an automated theft notification was triggered from a tracking beacon concealed in an air conditioning core.   These AC units are typically worth US$3,000 each, making them a favorite target for thieves.  The unsuspected thieves stole the unit, unaware that it was being tracked from the Frisco area all the way down to southwest Dallas, the U.S.A.  After getting a fix on the location of the GPS beacon, police confronted the thieves and recovered 40 air conditioner coils, numerous appliances and other building supplies.

The second theft ring was exposed when a tracking device was concealed inside a microwave oven at a new home construction site.  Upon notification of the theft, the merchandise was tracked from Dallas to Illinois.  The truck that contained the stolen microwave oven was filled with approximately US$5,000 of stolen equipment.  Once the goods were identified, police were dispatched and the merchandise was recovered.

According to the Insurance Services Office (ISO), as little as 10-15% of stolen equipment is ever recovered.  “These figures are alarming.  We are proud to have provided the solution to assist in the recovery of these high value goods,” stated John Tedesco, President & CEO of Contigo.  “Theft of valuable merchandise continues to be a costly issue for business owners.  Contigo’s GPS-based tracking system was designed to combat this problem.  With the Contigo system, company owners and managers can rest assured that their merchandise will be protected from the growing threat of theft.”

These recoveries were made possible by Contigo’s software platform, coupled with the Contigo 8200 GPS beacon.  No other GPS technology on the market is capable of being located in such challenging signal environments.  The 8200 uses the world’s most powerful GPS technology, gpsOne from Qualcomm that allows the device to be located indoors, where stand-alone GPS typically fails.  Smaller than a package of cigarettes and with a battery life of up to 30 days on a single charge, the Contigo 8200 is the most trusted solution for theft prevention on the market today.