The Scope and Implications of a Tracing Mechanism for Small Arms ...

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factories. The VIN codes are also supplied to police worldwide to assist
with vehicle identification. The following VIN illustrates the point:
W A U Z Z Z 8 L Z X A 1 1 7 1 1 5
W A U = Manufacturer, country and individual factory code
Z Z Z = is a filler for those manufacturers which do not have
a relevance for all 17 characters.
8 L Z = identifies the model and whether for the domestic or
export market.
X A = identifies the month and year of manufacture
1 1 7 1 1 4 = the individual serial number
(For weapons production, random numbers can replace sequential
serial numbers to overcome concerns in countries, like China, that the
latter can identify the year-on-year total output for each of their Stateowned
factories).
• (Essential component parts) Ford Motor Company, for example, uses
the last seven digits of the VIN (the serial number element) to create the
engine number. All major components are branded to prevent
counterfeiting and given product codes which change yearly.
• (Record-keeping—Manufacturers) Manufacturers maintain records
of each VIN issued cross-referenced with the vehicle details and point
of sale.
• (Record-keeping—Nationally) Vehicles are registered on national
computer databases, which record descriptive details, including the
VIN, cross-referenced with those of the owner. Records held by the
authorities track each vehicle’s life from birth to death (or permanent
export).
• (Import declaration and record-keeping) Imported vehicles must be
declared on import and require registration as above.
• (Import marking) Imported vehicles require identification plates using
characters compatible with the national system.
• (Diversion prevention) Vehicles considered to be at greatest risk of
theft can have additional security measures, such as tracking devices
fitted to aid recovery.