Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PARSEC (Parcel and Letter Security for Postal and Express Courier Flows)
Période du rapport: 2022-10-01 au 2024-03-31
Although a significant amount of illicit goods cross the border hidden in containerised traffic, the growth of e-commerce and the perceived anonymity in hiding controlled or illegal materials amongst the increasing volumes of trade in postal and courier express environments make it attractive for criminals to abuse.
This environment is very fast-moving and there has always been a risk that interdiction by customs, using conventional techniques, would adversely affect the business model of the operator.
There has been an appetite from the postal operators to disabuse their supply chain and to support that they collaborated in a FP7 project (SAFEPOST). This led to engaging with the customs community and a keenness to explore options where the intervention from customs had the result of deterring abuse of the supply chain without harming the business. PARSEC is a project which has allowed that ambition to be explored further and is valuable because the objectives satisfy end users who own the supply chain and end-users who police that supply chain to protect society.
Knowing that such fast-moving environment made it difficult for a human operator to identify threat items, the project has focussed on novel technologies that can make a determination more accurately and reduce operator fatigue and lower inspection rates because of higher standards.
The project has to not only develop technology to identify materials specified by the customs and police end-users, but the use of that technology MUST not hinder the business of the end-user operators, which is quite a challenge.
This environment is very fast-moving and there has always been a risk that interdiction by customs, using conventional techniques, would adversely affect the business model of the operator.
There has been an appetite from the postal operators to disabuse their supply chain and to support that they collaborated in a FP7 project (SAFEPOST). This led to engaging with the customs community and a keenness to explore options where the intervention from customs had the result of deterring abuse of the supply chain without harming the business. PARSEC is a project which has allowed that ambition to be explored further and is valuable because the objectives satisfy end users who own the supply chain and end-users who police that supply chain to protect society.
Knowing that such fast-moving environment made it difficult for a human operator to identify threat items, the project has focussed on novel technologies that can make a determination more accurately and reduce operator fatigue and lower inspection rates because of higher standards.
The project has to not only develop technology to identify materials specified by the customs and police end-users, but the use of that technology MUST not hinder the business of the end-user operators, which is quite a challenge.
The selection of technologies for the project was to step away from the limitations of conventional devices in use and utilise techniques that provide more information about what is being scanned. Progress made in RP1 has provided us with an exceptionally sharp image that will provide a good platform for AI development and implementation, an ability to discern between substances and identify just the threat ones, which will reduce false positives, but lower the wasted effort in physical inspection, but, although delayed, the work in the data analysis space will be the component that will unite the technologies into a system during this next period.
Results of the data capture exercise at an operational site provided evidence that identification of illicit drugs by the technology is achievable and the RP1 demo evidenced the ability to identify an explosive substance.
Once developed and deployed the system will provide a significant deterrent but will also aid law enforcement in disrupting criminal gangs.
At the end of RP1 the simulation tool is developed sufficiently to demonstrate its value in being able to illustrate the impact of the flow rates for the chosen technologies. Its flexibility enables it to be adjusted to the characteristics for each location to allow optimisation.
Results of the data capture exercise at an operational site provided evidence that identification of illicit drugs by the technology is achievable and the RP1 demo evidenced the ability to identify an explosive substance.
Once developed and deployed the system will provide a significant deterrent but will also aid law enforcement in disrupting criminal gangs.
At the end of RP1 the simulation tool is developed sufficiently to demonstrate its value in being able to illustrate the impact of the flow rates for the chosen technologies. Its flexibility enables it to be adjusted to the characteristics for each location to allow optimisation.
The technologies being examined and tested in PARSEC have the capability to be more specific about material discrimination, than conventional devices and in some cases technology can identify a substance.
It is accepted that the vast majority of consignments are regular, legitimate traffic. Therefore the goal is to be able to only select risky consignments without interfering with the bulk of them. In order to facilitate the flows, as well as ensuring that customs physically inspect the highest risk items, the tools that PARSEC is developing are intelligence-focussed. Data-driven risk management tools will select what should be selected and the consignment will be directed to the first line technology. If this technology determines that there is no risk, then the consignment will be released back to the flows. However, if it either determines there is a known threat, or it identified there is still something it is not happy with, then the consignment will be referred to the next technology, which has the ability to spectrally discriminate and identify compounds. If that device agrees there is an illicit material, or it believes it cannot clear the risk, then the consignment is sent for physical inspection. If the second device determines that the risk can be resolved and is not of interest to customs, then the consignment will be returned to the commercial flows.
PARSEC is making use of multi-energy x-ray and diffraction x-ray (XRD). XRD is usually seen in labs in a bench-top device, or is starting to be seen supporting aviation security applications for alarm resolution. It is rather unique to use this combination for customs applications. During some of our data capture work, we have evidenced that some of the drugs profiles created from pharmaceutical grade examples, worked when applied to illicit samples and an explosive was successfully identified during an in-house demonstration.
The indicators show that that technology can play a role and deliver to customs technology that is beyond-state-of-the-art. Although reporting period 1 only has brief glimpses of a successful future, the work taking place next will link those strands together.
Although the technologies are being geared towards the postal and courier express domains, the individual devices, or system, will have application in other customs areas too, such as screening of bags. What this development could deliver is an increased assurance in how the border is protected without impacting vast number of the goods and travellers.
It is accepted that the vast majority of consignments are regular, legitimate traffic. Therefore the goal is to be able to only select risky consignments without interfering with the bulk of them. In order to facilitate the flows, as well as ensuring that customs physically inspect the highest risk items, the tools that PARSEC is developing are intelligence-focussed. Data-driven risk management tools will select what should be selected and the consignment will be directed to the first line technology. If this technology determines that there is no risk, then the consignment will be released back to the flows. However, if it either determines there is a known threat, or it identified there is still something it is not happy with, then the consignment will be referred to the next technology, which has the ability to spectrally discriminate and identify compounds. If that device agrees there is an illicit material, or it believes it cannot clear the risk, then the consignment is sent for physical inspection. If the second device determines that the risk can be resolved and is not of interest to customs, then the consignment will be returned to the commercial flows.
PARSEC is making use of multi-energy x-ray and diffraction x-ray (XRD). XRD is usually seen in labs in a bench-top device, or is starting to be seen supporting aviation security applications for alarm resolution. It is rather unique to use this combination for customs applications. During some of our data capture work, we have evidenced that some of the drugs profiles created from pharmaceutical grade examples, worked when applied to illicit samples and an explosive was successfully identified during an in-house demonstration.
The indicators show that that technology can play a role and deliver to customs technology that is beyond-state-of-the-art. Although reporting period 1 only has brief glimpses of a successful future, the work taking place next will link those strands together.
Although the technologies are being geared towards the postal and courier express domains, the individual devices, or system, will have application in other customs areas too, such as screening of bags. What this development could deliver is an increased assurance in how the border is protected without impacting vast number of the goods and travellers.