^ Tell Tags are simple, easy and small so you can pack as many as you need.

How Tell-Tag came to be the most effective personal luggage security product available in Australia today.

Origineering Pty Ltd was registered in 2005 specifically for the development of Tell-Tag and related products. Tell-Tag is the brainchild of Theo Valerio and Steve Payne, the two Directors of Origineering. Theo and Steve are both aviation consultants and have worked in the industry in Perth for the last 15 years. Prior to that, Theo worked in the UK as an airline pilot and Steve was involved in the IT industry.

The idea behind Tell-Tag originated from aviation consultancy work in various projects, including those specifically involving airport environments and security systems. It was here where it became apparent that there were no detection tools available that were able to successfully identify instances of luggage tampering with any degree of reliability. The original idea came about in late 2004, but the marketability of such a product was not really understood until March of 2005 amidst the publicity of the Schapelle Corby case.

From the outset, Theo and Steve decided against developing a product that had the potential to create problems for airport baggage handling systems. Furthermore, it is quite well known that airport personnel have difficulty handling items of luggage that have been wrapped in cling films and pallet-wraps. Also, ‘bin liner’ type suitcase covers can get caught up in transport machinery and carousel belts and create the potential for confusion in the baggage claim area of an airport. Mummifying bags in cling films can create similar problems for identification.

^ Zip Stop technology prevents the zippers from moving, making a breach impossible to hide.

Other products available on the market at the time were seen to provide a little perceived peace-of-mind, but none of them are able to inform the user, with any degree of reliability, that someone has tampered with their luggage. The problem was pretty clearly defined to Theo and Steve.

“For example,” says Steve, “If someone decides to use your bag to transport drugs via the airline system, and if they do it in a way that is hard for you to detect, you risk incrimination, so you really need to know if someone has used your luggage and you need to know before you exit through Customs. If you declare your bags for a Customs search, explaining to them that your anti-tamper seal has indicated a security breach, your cooperative role in the process will demonstrate your awareness of the issues in a pretty obvious manner. Consequently, if something incriminating is discovered in one of your bags, you will have already demonstrated an absence of criminal intent.”

The solution therefore had to be a device that was able to detect luggage intrusion reliably.

Theo and Steve looked long and hard for a solution, but none of the other products seemed to address the main requirement of reliable detection. They tested just about every security device available on the market and with these devices fitted to a suitcase, they were still able to successfully break into a test bag and reseal it without an independent observer being able to tell. Tell-Tag was born from this deficiency, as it prevents any undetected incursion into personal luggage.

“If you have fitted a Tell-Tag to your bag”, says Theo, “And it indicates that the bag has been tampered with, you can go straight to the airline or local authorities. Volunteering this information before an attempt is made to walk through Customs will nullify any question of criminal intent.”

Of course, like many other security devices, a Tell-Tag will also act as a deterrent and those who use it hope that once potential smugglers see a Tell-Tag they will move on. Indeed, Origineering's slogan for Tell-Tag is 'Detect and Deter'.