Metal marking company signs cooperation deal with Immobilise in fight against lead theft

Trace-in-Metal Ltd. has linked up with Immobilise, which recently received the Secured By Design award, meaning that police and other authorities can now access coded information on microdots infused into lead, trace stolen lead and prosecute anyone dealing in it at any stage of the recycling chain, thereby creating a comprehensive deterrent to the continuing problem of metal theft.

These days, theft of portable everyday items such as mobile phones, laptops and bicycles has become a common occurrence, with over 300 phones stolen each day in London alone.

Immobilise, the database accessed by over 85,000 police officers in the UK for tracing stolen property helps police, insurers and the second-hand trade recover the stolen goods and prosecute those who steal them.

Lead roofs may seem an unlikely candidate for such a database; however, Trace-in-Metal, a company which has developed new technology using coded microdots to trace stolen metal, has signed up with Immobilise in the fight against metal theft.

Neil Stewart, Commercial Director of Recipero, which owns Immobilise, explained, “The data base needs traceable data, such as serial numbers, to instantly identify an item.

Naturally, mobile phones and other such devices constitute a significant percentage of what we register. Linking with metal theft and recycling is, however, a step change for Recipero.”

Immobilise records data, tracks an identifying number and permits easy follow-up of stolen items. Trace-in-Metal has launched a novel system of firing coded microdots into existing lead structures which will enable police, tax authorities and other law enforcement agencies to trace the exact provenance of any stolen metal.

John Minary, a director of Trace-in-Metal, explains, “The microdots are almost invisible and traceable even after the lead has been melted down.”

He adds, “Law enforcement and tax authorities can then search our company’s data base to determine the source of any lead containing our microdots. This acts as a significant deterrent to anyone considering dealing in stolen lead. The new legislation, in conjunction with Trace-in-Metal, now makes it too risky for those negligently or intentionally dealing in stolen metal.”

For more information visit www.trace-in-metal.com