Improving Customs Transit Systems
In the Islamic Countries
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 e-seals can be affixed on the numerous means of transport and cargos including
containers, trucks, rail wagon, air cargo, etc.;
 e-seals helps find containers that have been tampered in a discreet manner, reduces the
time taken and reduce the physical inspection procedures;
 e-seals are proof of manipulation, in the event of any manipulation (example in case of
unauthorized opening of the container, a warning notification will be displayed
immediately);
 Ensures the safety of consignment to consignees.
2.1.9.2 Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID)
The RFID system uses automatic radiofrequency identification techniques in the UHF RFID
(865-868 MHz) band - to read/write electronic seals of high security. The RFID system of
electronic seals is allowing to:
 Implement the process of automatic identification, control, and traceability of each
consignment;
 Increase international transports’ security since electronic seals are impossible to be
cloned;
 Prevent the contamination of transported goods, for instance in international container
transport;
 Increase the logistics processes’ efficiency. Moreover, the acceleration of the logistics
operations, with consequent reduction of human mistakes, will increase the level of
actual control inside areas – ports, border-crossing, and terminals. This automated
process based on RFID will also provide added value to the international trade supply
chains.
There are two types of RFID customs seals: passive and active RFID seals. Passive RFID
electronic seals simply report if they have been broken, when asked by a reader. They have a
low-cost and short-range operation.
RFID passive e-seals provides the automatic identification of the means of transport/container’s
seal and can be read quickly and accurately by static RFID gateway reading systems or by
handheld devices assigned to check-point customs officers. Any tampering event to the seal is
stored in the chip’s memory. This activates the alarm, which immediately provides the status of
the seal - Tampered/Not Tampered; The RFID chip should be able to store further information
and can be written by using the proposed RFID reader/writer devices.
The key information that the RFID passive seal provides are:
 RFID e-seal serial number;
 Date and time that reading is sealing;
 Status of the seal (Tampered/Not Tampered);
 Number of readings take for each RFID e-seal;
 Registration sequence in the event of 2 RFID e-seals on two containers on the same
means of transport/container.