Facial recognition 5G-powered glasses, enhanced biometric passports, and Interpol: border updates from Asia

Customs officers in Shenzhen now have biometric facial recognition 5G-powered glasses to scrutinize people crossing the border, following test pilots conducted for two weeks at Shenzhen Bay Port, reports The Standard.

The biometric gadgets identify travelers’ faces and flag anyone who appears suspicious or labeled as high-risk, and are very fast in processing and transmitting information due to the 5G technology. Passenger halls are equipped with high-definition facial recognition cameras that collect and cross-match faces with the customs database.

During the trials, facial recognition detected a number of smugglers. The risk of smuggling is high at the Shenzhen and Hong Kong border due to some 600,000 people arriving and departing on a daily basis.

If a high-risk person is detected, the arms of the glasses will make a noise and a red frame around the person’s face will appear on the tablet. Thorough body and luggage checks will follow. The glasses are connected to a system that holds passenger names, travel documents and history, information immediately available in case of high-risk individuals.

According to sources cited by The Standard, future plans for Shenzhen customs include further optimization of 5G smart cameras and spectacles, and expansion to cross-boundary checkpoints.

Thailand issues enhanced biometric passports in 2020

Thailand is introducing new and improved biometric passports in the second part of 2020, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Busadee Santipitaks, writes Nation Thailand.

The new models will not only have a design that emulates Thai art and culture, but an iris scan system will be integrated to ensure identity protection. Previous passports were only equipped with facial and fingerprint recognition.

The application for a new passport will take less than 12 minutes, as 500 service points and 15 temporary offices will be available around the country.

Interpol runs facial recognition searches in Manila arrests

A collaboration between the Interpol Major Events Support Team (IMEST) and Manila authorities during the 30th Southeast Asian Games led to the identification through facial recognition technology of 18 positive matches when cross-checking photos of suspected criminals with the biometric data on Interpol databases, writes Security World Market.

IMEST was stationed at a Multi-Agency Command Center (MACC) and the Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport, and assisted Immigration and Interpol National Central Bureau officers with passenger and travel document screening. The team ran over four million searches against Interpol’s databases, resulting in over 120 potential threats being identified including 25 internationally wanted persons linked to murder, fraud, bribery, firearms, drugs, and crimes against children.

“For police to be effective in securing major events, it is vital that they have all the information they need, at the right time and at the right place, especially at border control points,” said Hans Jürgen Pechtl of Interpol’s Operational Support and Analysis unit. “Through Interpol’s global network, the authorities in the Philippines were able to extend their national security perimeter far beyond their own border. Initiatives such as Project Riptide are paramount to empowering officials to secure their borders by making full use of Interpol’s policing capabilities.”

Article Topics

Asia  |  biometric passport  |  biometrics  |  border management  |  criminal ID  |  facial recognition  |  Interpol  |  iris recognition  |  smart glasses