Covert marking can take a number of different forms, from its most basic form such as UV Pens through to Forensic / DNA marking, Chemical marking, Microdots and Property Tagging. Covert property marking is quick to apply and nearly impossible to remove.
There often only needs to be the smallest trace of the marking substance to identify the rightful owner. Covert marking is complemented by placing a tamper resistant label on the property to warn thieves and the authorities that there is a covert mark present.
UV marker pens are fluorescent but transparent and its ink is only visible under an ultra-violet light. It is a simple, fast and inexpensive way to mark property but the mark will fade relatively quickly so should be refreshed regularly to maintain its effectiveness.
Chemical trace liquids (taggants) are invisible to the naked eye when applied but leave long lasting, difficult to remove marks, containing unique forensic identifiers specific to the owner that fluoresce under ultra-violet light.
Microdots contain unique identifying codes that are invisible to the naked eye but can be read under magnification. They can be applied covertly to property with the marks being directly linked to the owner by reference to a secure central property register database.
Electronic Tagging is a term used to describe devices that can be concealed in or on an item such as inside a bike frame, that send electronic messages to a receiver. The electronic message identifies the owner from information held on a secure central property register database.
