Opened seals on the motorway: turning anomalies into custody evidence
1,378 vehicles checked over three nights
From November 2 to 5, 2026, forces from six German states, the Federal Police and customs simultaneously checked motorway service areas and parking sites. Lower Saxony's LKA reported 1,378 vehicles and 1,725 people checked, 62 criminal proceedings and several containers with opened seals. The findings will now be compared with known offences and criminal groups. Read the Lower Saxony LKA release
An opened seal begins the investigation
A broken seal confirms an anomaly but does not explain when it happened, who held the cargo, whether goods were removed or substituted, or which company was responsible. Photographs and spot checks help; a timeline bound to the container, vehicle and authorised handoffs leaves less room for conflicting reconstructions.
The cargo should record its own exception
Opening, motion and location sensors can bind a seal breach to the correct physical unit, time and place. A blockchain record preserves dispatches, receipts and alerts across organisations without allowing the history to be rewritten after the incident. The goal is not to replace the police, but to give investigators faster and more coherent operational evidence. Explore Sensefinity blockchain
The passport connects origin, custody and condition
A Digital Product Passport can connect the lot, container, seal, carrier and consignee to the expected handoffs. When an opening occurs outside an authorised window, the unit can be flagged before it enters inventory or the market. This also helps separate intact goods from units whose identity or condition is no longer proven. Explore Sensefinity Digital Product Passport
Recovery is not enough: disposition needs evidence
Opened cargo may have been substituted, contaminated or exposed to unsuitable temperature, humidity and shock. Before commercial release, quantities must be reconciled and inspection, segregation and disposition documented. FoodSteps shows how to connect lot, condition and decision in food chains; the same discipline applies to any sensitive goods. Visit FoodSteps
- Digitally identify the container, pallet and seal.
- Record every dispatch and receipt with party, time and place.
- Treat opening, signal loss or route deviation as an immediate exception.
- Preserve readings and images for police, insurer and customer.
- Block release until identity, quantity and condition are verified.