A provider of security imaging technology in the United States has brought out its annual report on the state of mail security.
The report comes from open-source mail threat data compiled by the US government, international findings from the 2023 Global Terrorism Index, and the RaySecur Threat Data Center (TDC). The firm found that letters and small parcels, not large packages, make up the vast majority of the threats, which have become increasingly dangerous and toxic. Mail-based threats are difficult to track as nine out of ten mail security incidents were items that were small enough to fit in an anonymous kerbside drop box. Mail has become a preferred method of perpetrating these crimes, as less than two per cent of mail-based threats lead to an arrest.
The report focuses on the two main categories of dangerous mail: (1) Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) threats targeting corporations, private residences, and government buildings, and (2) contraband smuggling into correctional facilities.
As for CBRNE threats: most, 94 per cent of physical mail-based injuries came from letters. White powder threats are becoming increasingly common as 59pc of threats contain powders, of which 26pc were determined to be drugs including fentanyl. In the United States, local, state, and federal government facilities receive the most mail-based threats (32pc), while residences are the second most frequently targeted (28pc), and then come businesses (12pc).
What they say
Alex Sappok, PhD, CEO of RaySecur, said: “No industry is immune from mail-based threats. Detecting extremely small qualities of highly toxic substances like fentanyl is a critical and evolving challenge facing security professionals. Previously white powder threats were mostly benign hoaxes. Over the past year, we’ve seen fentanyl and other harmful powders used in threats targeting government agencies and the private sector.”
As for physical mail threats coming into prisons: most, 55pc of contraband is drug-treated paper, which may not be visible to the human eye. A majority, 65pc of the US prison population has an active substance use disorder, while another 20pc were under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of their crime.
Legal mail has become a primary avenue for smuggling drug-laced papers, as it is constitutionally protected and can not be digitized. Aside from mail, drug-laced papers enter facilities not only through the mailroom but through visitors, including attorneys, and papers passed in court, posing a risk to both staff and those in their care. The firm also sees an emerging trend of these fraudulent legal papers being treated with household chemicals such as bug spray and formaldehyde, which are not detected by conventional drug testing methods.
Visit: https://www.raysecur.com/state-of-mail-security-2023-2024-raysecur-annual-report/.
