This has become the new technique for robbers to rob a store without triggering the security alarms: the wave jammer. The thieves swapped their wire cutters for a GSM jammer. As shown in a TF1 report, thanks to this device, thieves can take action without worrying about video surveillance cameras.
A well-known scourge of alarm manufacturers, the wave jammer has been rampant for around ten years. In Crolles (Isère), the company Altratech legally uses them to test its own systems. “It costs around 100 euros. It’s illegal, normally, we’re not allowed to buy it, but we can find it on the internet,” says Catherine Tribaudot, research and development manager for Diagral alarm systems. for TF1.
Concretely, the wave jammer acts as a screen. “The siren does not go off, the radio waves which communicate between the detector and the control unit are jammed. They can no longer communicate and the siren does not react,” explains the specialist. Using or possessing a jammer is an offense punishable by six months in prison and a fine of 30,000 euros. It is the very discreet National Frequency Agency (ANFR) which polices the airwaves. Their use is reserved for the authorities, such as “National Defense, Internal Security and the Public Justice Service which, for example, have jammers in prison,” explains Catherine Gabay, its deputy director for TF1.
Last year, the National Frequency Agency had to deal with 1,800 cases of interference. This represents an increase of 50% in three years.
