Silk Road forums

Discussion => Security => Topic started by: fx1 on March 08, 2012, 02:07 pm

Title: Surveillance Vehicles
Post by: fx1 on March 08, 2012, 02:07 pm
I'm not sure if I should post this in security or shipping, so if there is a problem mods please move the thread.

I work in the automotive industry and recently had a customer come in for a state inspection license that drove a van. He was the average looking guy, regular work clothes, baseball cap, nikes on, etc. When someone pulls up for a state inspection, by law you have to finish your task and then tend to the customer, so I did. He began asking me general questions about vehicle inspection and making conversation, but the guy just seemed off when he started talking to me. I put on all my shit that I have to do by law (gloves, eye protection, etc) to inspect his vehicle. He asked me something about the brakes on his car, I answered his question and he ask me a question that no other customer has ever asked about law behind brakes, this is pretty much what told me he was an undercover making sure I was doing my inspection right, but that's not the important part. I got in the vehicle and noticed the dashboard had switches on it that you couldn't see from outside due to tint, and each of those switches did a different thing. One operated the left low beam, another operated the left parking lights, and so on. There were about 20 of these switches in total, and after I finished inspecting the vehicle and passing it, he informed me that he was and undercover making sure the shop I work at does everything like we're supposed to. He started telling me that it was an undercover surveillance van used by local departments that originally belonged to the DEA. After we talked about that, he was explaining how it was used in undercover operations. The way they signal other undercovers (when a person gets busted or is being watched, it isn't by a single group of small people, there are people around the block that all drive normal cars and look like everyday people) is by flipping a switch on the dash. If they need the officers to go into a building after they have confirmed illegal activites, they would turn the left parking light on and the officers would see it and take action. Each switched that operated a different light or wiper on the car was used for a different purpose on each operation, so they are hardly ever the same signs. Just thought I'd post on here and share the knowledge for a better cause  ;)
Title: Re: Surveillance Vehicles
Post by: cache on March 08, 2012, 02:24 pm
Interesting stuff, thanks!
Title: Re: Surveillance Vehicles
Post by: inscape on March 08, 2012, 11:15 pm
Watching show's like "DEA" and "Drug War"s can, to an extent, offer a lot of insight into the inner workings of some of their street teams and a look at some of specific details of how federal agencies operate. really not all that different that how you would imagine.
Title: Re: Surveillance Vehicles
Post by: dman420 on March 08, 2012, 11:37 pm
Watching show's like "DEA" and "Drug War"s can, to an extent, offer a lot of insight into the inner workings of some of their street teams and a look at some of specific details of how federal agencies operate. really not all that different that how you would imagine.

i watch all of these shows i can even first 48 and the other types. i look at it as im doing my homework or what i can to ad to my awareness. notice how angry the LE get when people are informed enough to ask for a lawyer? the city where i live have a lot of different surveillance cars in it. they vary a lot from make and model, work lookin trucks with toolboxes even, mom looking vans, old busted shittly lookin cars that i assume they think people wouldnt believe such a shitty car following them wasnt vice. i like to make the assumption that all cars could be surveillance or LE so i carry on my activities accordingly.
Title: Re: Surveillance Vehicles
Post by: audacity on March 09, 2012, 07:51 am
Sorry I'm a natural skeptic and I'm sure on a security forum it's not too out of line- but he just told you all of this? Wouldn't he want to take a bit of caution with who he shares that information with or is it the kind of thing that they think even if people knew, there's nothing they could do about anyway?

Curious as to your thoughts-
Title: Re: Surveillance Vehicles
Post by: J4M136 on March 09, 2012, 10:48 am
Sorry I'm a natural skeptic and I'm sure on a security forum it's not too out of line- but he just told you all of this? Wouldn't he want to take a bit of caution with who he shares that information with or is it the kind of thing that they think even if people knew, there's nothing they could do about anyway?

Curious as to your thoughts-

I'd also be worried that you shared this information on the forum and he knows your identity
Title: Re: Surveillance Vehicles
Post by: sourman on March 09, 2012, 11:40 am
^Yeah, personal tidbits like that are how the feds eventually profile those they can't directly track through the internet. Unless OP has good reason to fear a visit from LE, I wouldn't worry too much though. I still doubt they'd go that far to catch people ordering personal use amounts.

The switches in that van aren't just there to signal tactical strike teams to go in. That's how it was done in the past; now they use discrete 2-way (or sometimes even 1-way) radio earbuds when they have to be that covert. The switches are really there so the agent can selectively turn off the brake lights and such, that way it's even harder to tell when surveillance vehicle are trying to match your speed.
Title: Re: Surveillance Vehicles
Post by: CaptainSensible on March 09, 2012, 06:41 pm
I don't understand why an inspector for the state agency that controls automotive inspection stickers would be driving an undercover surveillance van used by local departments. 
Title: Re: Surveillance Vehicles
Post by: fx1 on March 09, 2012, 08:58 pm
Sorry I'm a natural skeptic and I'm sure on a security forum it's not too out of line- but he just told you all of this? Wouldn't he want to take a bit of caution with who he shares that information with or is it the kind of thing that they think even if people knew, there's nothing they could do about anyway?

Curious as to your thoughts-
Yeah, he told me he was an undercover after I completed the inspection. He was an older cop, probably around 40-50. I think they don't care, since they can make as many mistakes as they want trying to catch you, but you can only make one.\



^Yeah, personal tidbits like that are how the feds eventually profile those they can't directly track through the internet. Unless OP has good reason to fear a visit from LE, I wouldn't worry too much though. I still doubt they'd go that far to catch people ordering personal use amounts.

The switches in that van aren't just there to signal tactical strike teams to go in. That's how it was done in the past; now they use discrete 2-way (or sometimes even 1-way) radio earbuds when they have to be that covert. The switches are really there so the agent can selectively turn off the brake lights and such, that way it's even harder to tell when surveillance vehicle are trying to match your speed.
I'm pretty sure I don't have anything to worry about. Tens of thousands of people go in for inspections every day man, no telling how many of those are undercover inspections since they happen at any time. I've only had to deal with 4 in the 2 years I've been working.