Border control wages a constant fight against criminal activity, and this isn’t restricted to air and sea travel. Smugglers also operate via land borders, and this make it difficult to integrate passenger data from different data sources.

The impact of land border crime in Ecuador

There has been an escalation in violence and cartel wars, in what was once viewed as a safe and prosperous country. In the space of just one year homicides rose sharply, by 180% in 2021. As a result, 3.538 cases were recorded, the highest number on record. Specifically, 80% of these murders are thought to be clashes between criminal groups competing for control over drug distribution and export, primarily cocaine. 

Ecuador is not a main producer of cocaine, but cartel gangs smuggle cocaine through neighboring land borders, especially from Colombia. As a result, Ecuador’s prison population has surged from 11,000 in 2009 to nearly 40,000 in 2021. 

But the problem extends beyond the traffickers, the prison service, and victims of crime. Businesses of all sizes in Ecuador are targeted for extortion and kidnapping, and escaping the gang culture surrounding drug trafficking is also becoming virtually impossible for some young Ecuadorians.

The solution for Ecuador, and other countries

This is a problem that can affect any country with land borders, and the only real solution is to detain the drug traffickers before they enter the country. The multiple points of entry make arrivals infinitely more difficult to track than monitoring air and sea passengers alone. A data-driven analytical approach can provide insight into the trafficker’s tactics and techniques. It allows governments to develop targeted strategies to disrupt and expose drug smuggling. 

Countries should now seek to develop a new passenger data strategy covering multiple data sources – land, air, and sea. This data fusion approach, covering all possible routes in and out of the country, creates comprehensive alerts that will assist in capturing criminals. Adding an extra data source, requested from passengers before their travel via a land border, supports this strategy. The data in the pre-arrival notification can then be verified at the land border upon arrival.

How to implement a passenger data fusion strategy

What is the first step towards a passenger data fusion strategy? It starts with solid IT systems and infrastructure, clear communication channels, and good collaboration between law enforcement agencies. Any strategy must consider the importance of maintaining passenger flow as it optimizes security. 

Many countries still lack an effective screening system, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation. Screening and threat detection have posed a significant problem for governments in the past, which is why WCC created a flexible API/PNR solution to mitigate the administrative and technical challenges countries were facing in this area. 

WCC’s ready-to-go solution

Our traveler screening solution, HERMES, can manage all forms of travel data. One key feature is the ability to cross-check passenger data from multiple sources, simplifying data fusion insight.  Rapid passenger flow is also prioritized in the system as it seamlessly processes API and PNR data, meaning there is no compromise between security and efficiency.  

HERMES can also connect directly to airlines and detect any data conflicts.  It simplifies monitoring watchlists by using multi-cultural name-matching algorithms and allows rule-based targets to be configured and updated by border officials and analysts. 

Quick to install, and customizable to your needs, it can be implemented seamlessly to help your country manage border control effectively and reduce crime and resources. 

Find out more about Hermes.