Jan Erasmus, NEC XON business lead for surveillance and analytics.

NEC XON, a pan-African system integrator, commended the use of its NeoFace Watch facial recognition system in the arrest of a Chinese syndicate seeking to enter Zimbabwe using bogus travel credentials.

The operation began after the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) acquired information about Chinese citizens seeking to enter the country with fraudulent travel credentials.

ZRP's facial recognition team used NEC's NeoFace Watch system to identify a specific Lin Xinwei from a Qatar Airways manifest.

The Chinese national has been under monitoring since July 2023, when she attempted to board an aircraft to Qatar using a fake Japanese passport.

Despite her efforts to avoid detection, NeoFace Watch allowed authorities to verify her identity and identify her documents as false.

Further coordination between the ZRP, Qatar Airways, and the passport offices of the United Kingdom (UK) and Northern Ireland revealed that Xinwei and four other conspirators had forged Chinese passports and UK resident cards.

Meticulous research based on NeoFace Watch intelligence produced enough evidence of criminal activity to warrant arrest and prosecution under Zimbabwe's Immigration Act, said NEC.

According to the company, the successful capture of the cartel demonstrates the need of international cooperation in combating transnational crime.

“The collaboration between NEC XON and the Zimbabwe Republic Police highlights the transformative impact of advanced facial recognition technology in law enforcement efforts. The successful apprehension of the syndicate underscores the effectiveness of our NeoFace Watch system in enhancing security and protecting national borders,” said Jan Erasmus, NEC XON business lead for surveillance and analytics.

According to Erasmus by seamlessly integrating with existing government systems and databases, NeoFace Watch empowers law enforcement agencies to identify and apprehend suspects swiftly and accurately.

Erasmus said: “The successful apprehension of the syndicate underscores the effectiveness of our NeoFace Watch system in enhancing security and protecting national borders.”