Nicosia, Cyprus. A Bluetooth tracking device sent by post to the Dutch frigate HNLMS Evertsen allowed the ship to be tracked remotely for days while it was deployed to waters off Cyprus, Dutch broadcaster Omroep Gelderland reported.
Tracker sent via military postal service
Omroep Gelderland said a device costing about €5 was attached to a postcard and sent to the ship using the Dutch military’s postal service, allowing the sender to track its movements remotely. The broadcaster said the device is normally intended for locating items such as keys.
Deployment and route to the ship
The HNLMS Evertsen had been deployed to waters off Cyprus as part of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle’s carrier strike group, and was sent to the region over a month ago.
According to Omroep Gelderland, the device was sent from the Netherlands and transported via the Niewe Haven naval base in the province of North Holland to Eindhoven airport, before being flown to Crete. It was then taken to the port of Heraklion and brought aboard the HNLMS Evertsen, which docked there late last month.
Tracking timeline and device going offline
The ship left Heraklion on the morning of March 27, with the device tracking its location until it arrived off the coast of Cyprus on March 28, when the device went permanently offline.
Defence ministry response and parliamentary notice
A Dutch defence ministry spokesperson told Omroep Gelderland that “adjustments have since been made” in response to “this incident” and that it is now forbidden to send a greetings card containing batteries to Dutch warships.
The spokesperson said the tracker was found while incoming mail was being sorted aboard the ship and that while the ship could have been tracked at sea, “this would not have posed an operational risk”.
Dutch Defence Minister Dilan Yesilgoz has informed parliament of the issue.
What changes, if any, should be made to military mail procedures to prevent similar tracking incidents?
