What’s on the case files?

The dodgy husband
The workers comp guy that really isn’t malingering
The armed robbery
The thieving web tycoon
The case of the missing Laotian

Having a balanced life.

Chatting online the other day some one asked how in our business it is possible to have a balanced life working and yet having a life. A few people agreed with me. What’s your thoughts?

Now THAT is one tough question.

I think the first thing to consider is that ours is one of those jobs that is a lifestyle. There are also many like me that consider our occupation not only to be a lifestyle but also a professional hobby.

This is great for us but not so hot for those in our lives that deserve our time more than our clients do.

As someone that started his first company just over one year ago I would say it is all but impossible to get a healthy balance in the early years. This is especially the case when like in my case you have left a very well paying job guaranteeing a monthly salary and very nice benefits.

Less going out, Less socializing, less nice restaurants, less glamorous holidays. All this means home is where the balance is needed.

My solution:

LISTEN to loved ones, partners, children, parents etc don't just hear them. They will keep you centered.

Have at least one day a week (a FULL 24 hours) dedicated to the above people, no sneaking in to the office or making a quick call.

Can’t afford that one day a week? Can you afford to be without these people or to miss out those special moments? School plays, promotions, birthdays, sitting in the sun doing and saying nothing with a loved one are all of the utmost importance. Far more so than missing out on even a couple of jobs.

If the bills are paid with you and your loved ones warm fed and watered then you have done your job. The most precious gift anyone can give is themselves and their time. Everything else is supplementary. Your loved ones give themselves to you. You owe it to them to return the gift. Extra jobs leading to extra money is a great thing but it is also no good being the richest guy in the graveyard.

No loved ones? Then read, walk, visit friends (never neglect friends you don’t have many) call your family and every day make three people that you do not know smile.

Don’t be afraid irresponsible on occasion. No you can’t afford to hire a boat for the day. A weekend in a spa is just about more than you can afford. Buying a motorbike might be a little over the top. A meal at the top restaurant in town is just pure indulgence. But all of these make life fun and a life without fun is no life at all.

But don't just live your life for others and your work do something for you. Fire a hundred rounds at the range, learn to dance, surf, meditate, garden, play golf, go to a pool hall. Whatever it is remember you don't have to be good you just have to enjoy it.

I know a guy who’s motto is “have fun, make money.” It’s tough to find fun without money and very easy to fall in to the trap of having money but being afraid to have fun. But it can be done.

Good ongoing cases on the books

Got an interesting armed robbery on the books at the moment. Wasn’t fun for our client but we stand a good chance of catching the mutts. Three armed mutts off the street would be a very pleasing result.

The profile of our piracy work seems to be increasing with a couple of new clients on board.

Nasty husband seemingly hiding his assets overseas from his wife of many years. Why do guys think they can get away with it?

Looking forward to an up coming surveillance at a rather pleasing venue (more on this another time)

Surveillance. It aint sexy! Certainly not in a one donkey town.

We have recently moved in to the field of surveillance and will soon be expanding our undercover (UC) work. All of this is very exciting until one becomes familiar with the need to sit motionless for hours and the cost of buying the best kit.

To be honest the surveillance side of things is not really my favourite thing to do, I’m the wrong personality type I am however blessed with a colleague that seems to love it! Give me UC work anytime.

Whilst I may not actively enjoy sitting in a vehicle watching absolutely nothing happen half a kilometer away, it is however something that clients have a need for. So we packed up cams, comms, a longlife maritime battery, an inverter, a stack of mints and provisions.

It’s not easy you know. Sitting there writing up the surveillance notes having a coffee and then “movement movement movement” and we’re off! Then its cut throughs, parallel roads and we catch up with the target dealing with pedestrians who have no fear of jaywalking, traffic lights that conspire against us, street dogs, beggars approaching us and all manner of other inconveniences.

An afternoon of total concentration, following by car and foot trying to get photos and video without seeming to conspicuous all the time hoping that you cams are getting the pictures framed properly.

Back at the primary surveillance position everything is written up while others watch the target address and you’re off again! This goes on ad nauseam until at the end of the day you drag your tired weary bones and addled mind out of the vehicle to seek some form of refreshment in a one donkey town at the back end of the back of beyond.

Even then it’s no walk in the park. Everyone knows everyone and each has probably owned or at least borrowed that damned donkey from one another through the years. You’re a stranger in a tiny place so everyone has an interest in you. You can’t talk openly and even though off duty a part of you stays lit up for possible problem.

After days of this you notice an ache in a previously untroublesome area of your back, you crave your sofa and some mindless TV program, and just want top get home. Sadly it’s almost a day’s drive home but you get there in the end and feel that you really don’t want to sit in a car seat for at least a month.

So to any rural surveillance people out there that read this I salute you!

Having said my bit and whining and grizzling through the pest part of a page we will be out there again sometime soon.

Far to long since I last posted

Here we are in May and I’ve just realised when my last post was!

Memo to self: Don’t be too busy in future to write in the blog!

So what’s been happening?

Quite a bit recently. We have moved in to the surveillance field after much deliberation. It’s a very specialized skill and not one that can be entered in to half heartedly.

I can also say that I know why good surveillance costs so much. You try walking after being stuck in a car watching an address half a kilometer away for eight and a half hours straight!

Other jobs have been coming in from Australia, Switzerland, UK and US.

I’ve had some nice overseas travel on an anti piracy gig and life is to be honest fairly damned fine!

Outside of work life is also fairly damned fine.

Thinking about holidays, family all good, healthy wealthy and happy!

Mates are doing very well and I’m pleased to see Adriel Hamilton my claim to fame as far as US congressional Contenders are concerned is has a campaign that is going places.

You US readers can keep up with Adriel at http://aclarado-enquiries.blogspot.com/

Well that’s about it for now.

Keep well dear readers!

One Year Old!

The company is one year old on 15 May. So in a shameless piece of self promotion pride and ego boosting I thought I would post a few comment from people over the last year.

Feel free to ask to be put in touch with the people that made the comments.

What Aclarado Enquiries Clients Say About Our Work:


I on behalf of the whole family would like to convey our special thanks to you and your team. Thank you so much for the support and concern you have shown. We are truly thankful but can not find words more than thank you to express how grateful we are.

Ugandan Client


Thank you Tony. Your assistance has been crucial and is much appreciated.

Middle Eastern Director of Fortune 500 Company


The report is excellent!

Swiss Based Financial Organisation.


Can I just say, how impressed I am with the results so far? If this is the indicative of the level of service you offer your clients then you must be a very busy outfit.

UK based Private Investigator


Thanks for your care in this case Tony. It’s very rare in today’s world to find people with such a caring heart for others as you have shown on this case.

Malta Based Investigative Company


WOW! Unbelievable, how do you actually do that?

South African Investigative Client.


If I ever needed anything in South Africa - Tony Goring's the guy I would call!

US Based Private Investigator


Fantastic result

UK Based Private Investigator

My Colleague Adriel Hampton Running for Congress!

Aside from the rather unusual pleasure of actually knowing someone that is running for Congress in the US (specifically California’s 10th Congressional District) it is nice to see a common man striving to make a difference in the world of politics.

Now as a South African resident why the hell should I be interested in what happens in California’s 10th Congressional District? The answer is very simple. I'm not. I can not vote there and am broadly unaffected by what happens there.

However I know Adriel to be a progressive thinker, he has a hell of an intellect, is a prodigious writer and all-round popular chap of ethics and integrity. Adriel is “the man on the street” “one of us” and an atypical politician. So am interested in his success in this matter. The last thing the world needs is another typical politician!

Aside from wanting a respected colleague to succeed in a field he seems made for, Adriel also highlights a point that irritates me beyond all belief when discussing politics with “the man on the street.”

I won't list the usual complaints as they are to many and varied for this blog but when listening to peoples gripes winges and moans about their government I always have to ask, “did you vote at the last election?” It amazes me how many did not and respond with some variation of “what’s the point!”

If you don’t vote, then don’t complain. You have absolutely no right to unless you have tried to do something about it. I respect Adriel in this respect in that he is taking the whole process one step further and making the effort that a lot of us are, to be honest, too lazy to make.

If I was able to vote for Adriel I would. If you can you should!

Back from the dead

Regular readers will know that I recently had a medevac case that I worked on concerning a guy employed in the Middle East (see Feb 17th)

This guy arrived in a deep coma with multiple organ failure and less than minimal chance of survival.

I got a call last night saying he had regained consciousness after over a month in coma. Today I went to hospital and had one of the most amazing conversations. Not because of what we talked about but more because of the fact that we were able to talk at all.

Managed to get him on my phone to his family and saw a man that should by all accounts be dead laugh smile and ask for food!

The team of people involved with getting this guy from a war zone to where he is now are amongst the most professional I have ever had the pleasure of working with.

Medevac cases have nothing to do with our usual business of private investigation and how we got involved is a bit of a long story but its an area that is certainly fulfilling. No one was happier than me this afternoon. Well maybe his family but it’s a very close run thing.

A night of celebration is in order and I know just how to do so!

A Realistic Approach to Surveillance

A nice little surveillance coming over the next few weeks. Not something I specialize in but what can I say… I know people!

I do not take on much in the way of surveillance taskings. This is mainly because it is not an area the firm actively markets. As a result the vast majority of potential clients are first time users of this service.

People often have an unrealistic idea of what is involved in an effective surveillance operation, the costs involved and what exactly they want to do with the resulting stills, video and reports.

The reason for me taking this job on was simply down to the client being reasonable, realistic and having a well thought out strategy as to what he hopes to achieve.

It’s always great when a client starts a conversation by outlining their problem “I want him, her, them or it followed how much?” In common with all professional service providers our time is money but by investing a little time in the beginning life can be made oh so much simpler later on.

We will ALWAYS take the time to go through and consult on a client’s requirement in depth when approached to do so.

So why was this client different?

Well he had three people against whom he had carefully collated heavy but circumstantial evidence of wrong doing.

• He had unbiased biographies of the subject’s, their common movements and patterns, pictures ready for the purposes of ID and a list of carefully thought out questions.

• He had already established a couple of time frame periods through where it was most likely that the three subjects could be witnessed committing their wrong doing.

• He had a definite plan regarding how the resulting evidence would be used to support his case and how it would be presented to the, for want of a better word, prosecution.

• Instead of stating a budget or telling how he wanted the job completed he asked for suggestions.

• He took the time to consider the various options offered and came back with a number of minor alterations and suggestions of his own that certainly assisted in our being able to complete the job.

• He accepted that just because he heavily suspected that the subjects would commit their wrong doing during the time frames discussed it was also possible that they would do nothing wrong and that the surveillance may have to be extended.

Obviously in common domestic infidelity surveillance the client is after proof of their partner’s infidelity. Video of a lingering kiss, holding hands, soulful gazes at each other over the candlelit restaurant table while violinists play softly beside them, you know that kind of thing.

Even in such “simple” cases it is common for the client to respond “I don’t know” when asked what they wish to do with the evidence. Strangely people do not always want a divorce despite evidence of infidelity. Some think they might.

Years ago one “gentleman” actually advised me once that he would “kill her.” (That one was reported to the authorities as he gave every indication of meaning it and having planned the method)

Basically, there is little point in spending the money unless you know what you want to do with the evidence.

And the cost can be high. How much would you charge to sit in a field in the rain for eight hours? Actually very few people outside of the military do that people need regular relief.

Consider the case where you have to spot and tail three suspects arriving a port that need to be picked out of over a hundred others. The three people may head in three different directions using public transport a lift from a friend and a bicycle. Each person needs to be followed to their destination and have their movements supervised for three days. People need breaks, surveillance is stressful, its often a case that you need three people per subject followed who need relieving periodically. Each is paid by the hour.

So, if you have a need make a plan, call our office, have a chat and we can probably assist.

The Case Load

Got a break booked for April. A small well deserved holiday. Closed out a trace with a negative result! Damn I hate it when that happens. Grrrr. Got a couple of workers comp reports to follow up on. Busy trying to get the patient’s family in my medevac case in to the country. Sadly he is still in a coma but there is at last some light at the end of the tunnel. Got a sniff of some training work which sounds most nice. Still working on a pre-employment screening contract and some of the usual bits and bobs that constitute what I call work. Life is good.

A Word on Relationships Recession and Plain Low Down Nastiness.

Now I am not writing this from the moral high ground or inferring that I have some kind of supreme qualities or knowledge in the area. Lord knows I have failures behind me and must claim responsibility for a couple of them.

I open the floor to any ex’s and previous partners that may wish to disagree but lying infidelity violence and contempt have not figured in my list of many faults.

People drift apart, needs and desires change, that’s cool, ya know what? Stuff happens.

Surely its not too much to expect two supposed grown ups of average intelligence to appreciate that the right thing to do is to discuss lay out their points, break in an amicable fashion and accept that over means over.

But what is it with the lying, cheating, infidelity violence and utter contempt that some people subject their supposedly loved ones to.

A current case here in South Africa is in today’s Times: (cut and paste the link)

http://www.thetimes.co.za/PrintEdition/News/Article.aspx?id=953911

Who’s in the right? who’s in the wrong? Who knows but although I have no direct involvement in the case it would be fair to surmise that neither one is wearing a halo.

Separations and divorce go hand in hand with a recession as is acknowledged in a recent Time Magazine article so it would seem more of the same is on the way: (cut and paste the link)

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1853311,00.html

People lie about the true state of their finances; try to seek comfort in difficult times from someone that makes them feel good about themselves and turn their backs on the most profound of words, declarations or promises.

I got a call this morning from a guy who wanted assistance in locating his ex wife who is apparently subjecting him to all manner of harassment and nastiness (paint stripper on the car, various writing in weed killer on his lawn, one broken window, emails to his boss and the list continues) He wants a restraining order but cannot serve it on her until she is found. Having said all that it might not be her.

This man that called me has custody of the children so at first glance it would seem that he is the “the victim” in all this. However this man picked this lady out of the world population and married for all the right reasons. He looked at here in the way a man should look at his prospective wife. He is a bright intelligent person.

What triggered this bizarre change in behavior from his professional, highly qualified and equally intelligent wife or some strange person that apears to have quite profound issues?

I don’t know the answer to that question. I do not know if he has fault in this or if someone has simply flipped and targeted him for reasons best known to themselves.

So where is all this going? I just don’t understand some people. That’s all I’m saying.

It’s a little idealistic and a plaintive wish but why can’t people just be honest, kind and decent, acknowledge their mistakes, do their best to make amends when the needs arise and be an accepting adult about it when things go wrong?

The World Just Gets Smaller and Smaller

Technology is something I like to think I have a fair grasp of but sometimes I still get surprised by how simple life is becoming.

The majority of my clients come from overseas and mainly English speaking countries. Various logistical issues arise from such a client base not the least of which are travel or teleconferencing costs.

Trying to encourage a prospective client to utilize your services and getting them to call long distance to discuss the matter can be something of a challenge.

Two recent additions in the office have been telephone lines in Miami (786 623 5562 ) London (020 3239 6220 ) and Sydney (02 8007 5458). This allows clients to contact us on a local rate telephone call and just as importantly allowing me to market my services more effectively. The service is also available 24/7

I do not pretend to have offices at these locations the facility is simply provided to make life easier for our clients and us. All calls are routed direct to our office and / or staff cell phones when out of hours. As all calls are on voice over IP the costs are negligible.

The next phenomenal tool is www.gotomeeting.com which allows teleconferencing in multiple locations. There are quite a few such services however the kicker with GoToMeeting is that it allows people on the teleconference to see exactly what is on your PC during the call. Very handy for sales and complex case discussions.

Tallying it up the other day we have been contacted regarding work by 16 different methods. (Five emails, fax, five telephone numbers in four countries, Skype, MSN, Yahoo Chat, Facebook and LinkedIn.

What amazes me is that it is within my memory that it was necessary to book a long distance call several hours in advance with the operator. And I do not count myself as old by any stretch of the imagination.

The Social Stuff

Just had my birthday! Supper in one of my favorite restaurants and a bottle of my favourite tipple as a present! There was a minor case of that “morning after the night before” feeling but otherwise I got through the night unscathed.

A party is around the corner and I may just buy myself some time away the week after that! Hell, a guy has to treat himself every now and again.

Mates coming over from the UK looks increasingly like a certainty.

My fan club amongst the nurses of our local hospital seems to be increasing (never a bad thing)

Life aint too shabby folks!

Terrible news in South Africa

Those of you unfamiliar with the perpetual soap opera that is South African politics will have to bear with me for a couple of lines.

The much beloved and esteemed President of the ANC Youth League has sadly been replaced by a young lady that seems to have an intellect and something of a flair for the job. We will miss Ju Ju Malema and his constant striving for the advancement of nonsense in the political area.

Fear not we can still remains and catch up on the latest Malemaisms on www.classicmalema.co.za

Catching Up

Well it’s been close to a week since I last blogged. A bit lackadaisical of me but nonetheless I am now back on track.

It’s always been a problem for me to get the correct balance between work life and private life but recently it’s all gotten a lot easier. The weekend was fantastic and today is being spent catching up with mates gossip and general mooching around relaxing.

I don’t know if it’s the fact that the backend of 2008 and January are now firmly in the past, that work is coming in nice and steady or if it’s the fact that my invoices seem to being paid on time but the level of stress has diminished to background noise.

Whatever the cause life is a lot more enjoyable when you can leave the office behind, physically and mentally, get out there and enjoy yourself. I’ve even found myself able to talk about things outside of my professional life!

To those who have tolerated my babbling and stressing about all things work orientated, thank you.

Part of my newfound free and easy lifestyle has involved planning the purchase my birthday presents. Birthday parties have never really been something that I have been bothered about even as a child. I do however firmly hold the belief that the best person to buy your birthday presents is you!

I think top of the list has to be some new furniture. Maybe a bottle of Jameson’s 18 year old will find its way on to the shopping list as well. Those that know me also know that I need only the smallest excuse to jump on a plane to points foreign. One such trip is confirmed and another seems on the cards so some purchases may well be deferred until then.

It also seems that people are planning trips to South Africa. A couple of old mates are making noises about visiting in the next few months. I have often joked about being less of a mate and more of a cheap holiday destination for various people but its going to be great to see them.

The Case Load

Ongoing correspondence with the family of my Medevac case, a couple of ongoing workers comp cases, the usual list of traces, a couple of backgrounds, a nice US legal research job and whisperings of some software piracy work from a UK client. Several quotes out and awaiting a response and a new promising contact in the pharmaceutical business. Not too shabby.

There’s Something About Nurses

WE DID IT! (see last few posts)

We got our man over here in hospital and stabilized. Jeez he is still critical and one of the few people that I say a prayer for but he is here.

I received an email from the treating physician in the Middle East today that has been treating him that basically describes why the patient’s journey was necessary:

“Because of our combat environment and focused mission, we clearly have limitations in what we can do for patients like this and sometimes we have to improvise with some unconventional strategies.”

We have had ventilator failures missing aircraft, logistical delays, immigration issues, problems with the Department of Health and a plethora of other crises.

After getting to the hospital at 22:00 to complete paperwork and await his scheduled arrival at 23:30 thinking that all was in order I eventually left at 06:50 .

He didn’t turn up until 05:00 following problems refueling, technical issues and various other inconveniences and at last I laid eye upon the guy that we had all been working so hard for.

Yet again I was impressed by people’s professionalism. The paramedics were on the airport runway for from 22:00 also. I chatted with them for a while at the hospital getting an update on our man’s condition and apologizing for them having to wait so long. These people save lives on an hourly basis and have to be one of the most underrated professionals.

And the Intensive Care Unit Nurses! I don’t know how many of you have been inside an intensive care unit but by its very nature it should be a chaotic place. Every single patient there is being kept alive solely by mechanical mean means or intense effort. However it was a place of quiet calm and intense attention to duty. (Nurses are there with the paramedics in my book)

We forget the people that look after us in our time of need sometimes and it’s no bad thing no matter how unpleasant the circumstances to be reminded that these people exist and that they deserve our admiration.

Now I make no apologies for this question. It is purely a guy thing. But just what is it about nurses that is so damned appealing? I have spent a reasonable amount of time in hospitals around the world for one reason or another and it’s a global phenomena, nurses the world over are spectacularly appealing!

Dinner tonight? I don’t think so

Dinner at a great restaurant cancelled twice (I aint popular), One business meeting cancelled (rescheduled to Tuesday night) A few mates stood up (they are just complaining quietly). Clients having to be rescheduled, some jobs being placed on the back burner and a backlog starting to develop.

Frustration is not the word! Everything is hold once again this time due to another medevac aircraft having to be tasked with his transfer (see the two previous posts). Local conditions, the patients condition, aircraft availability, air crew availability, route planning are all conspiring against getting this done.

My facilitation and logistics role in all this is not one I have been involved with before. The stress, hours, phone calls and emails are more than a challenge to handle but from that comes the intense satisfaction that they are being dealt with and we are getting there.

It’s is always a good thing to be tested in unfamiliar circumstances that are out of your comfort zone. To be tested in such a way and to achieve is a great feeling.

The aircraft and patient were supposed to have arrived last night or this afternoon. Now there is no hope of a take off until tomorrow. Every single bit of inconvenience trouble and frustration is however nothing compared to what the medevac patient is going through. So efforts continue.

On other matters well a convenient break in the above due to scheduling meant that I was able to tackle some of the developing back log and had one of those “Small World” experiences.

I have a few workers compensation cases on file (you know the type, person hurts back at work and is “crippled” with pain, signed off for a year on full pay only to be filmed weight lifting or playing rugby)

Well this one was legit. The man had the operation scars to prove it. We conducted the workers comp interview in a bar which is not as unusual as it seems. Not many claimants are comfortable doing such things at their home.

I have had one claimant on my books for a while and have simply not been able to locate him. It’s incredibly frustrating as I cannot bill for the work until I do.

Speaking with a few of the patron in the bar who do I quite literally bump in to? My other claimant! So an appointment is set up for next week with him.

Catching up on a couple of traces we seem to have a little progress on Mr W who has been missing for around 15years so we will be chasing up leads and seeing where it takes us.

As there have been prolonged periods of “hurry up and wait” pending emails faxes and phone calls (but sadly no aircraft) I have also been using the time to polish up on Piracy law. No not Somalis, peg legs, parrots and “ah aha me harties.” It’s for Trademark / Copyright infringement, counterfeiting, smuggling and grey market sales.

I have a few jobs coming on where a more specialised knowledge of the law covering piracy is becoming necessary. Jees legal research is something that challenges me. I am able to understand the subject but it’s like what a lot of people think of ironing. It HAS to be done but you don’t have to enjoy it. The work it’s self locating the counterfeits and identifying the supply chain, obtaining the evidence and reporting to the relevant authorities is great. The reading however sucks in a major way!

Time to grab a coffee, write some reports and wait for that phone to ring.

Some one feels bad and is in a STACK of trouble!

Sat here waiting for the phone to start again. Just totted up today’s tally and its 14 telephone calls (19 yesterday and more emails that you could shake a stick at) All to get this poor chap from the Middle East to South Africa (see last post)

He was supposed to arrive on the hospital plane tonight but someone stepped on something vital during the transfer from hospital to plane and broke the ventilator! Can you imagine what that person must feel like?

So patient was transferred back to hospital and everything delayed for tomorrow. Then we are back in action again and a new plane has been chartered. But we do not know when it will get there or when it will arrive in South Africa.

It’s gonna be a long night waiting for flight plans arrival times. Then a load of running around, calling the airport, getting the ambulance to the airport, making sure the transfer goes according to plan, ensuring the intensive care team is ready at the hospital, getting to the hospital and making sure all of the various peoples ducks are in a row.

It’s a strange thing to be involved with. 20 or so people (more if you include plane techs, refuelers, ambulance drivers and such like) in six countries coordinating this matter for a man none of us know and who will never know about us.

The professionalism of the people involved working under pressure is incredible.

All works stops due to a mercy mission

An interesting but tragic job has kept me busy since late yesterday. My time has been spent with little sleep waiting for the phone to ring or another email to be received.

Other than a brief chat here and there with a couple of people on Facebook my time has been spent on this. I by comparison am a lucky man though and cannot dream of complaining.

The case involves a 30 year old contractor from another African country working overseas who has fallen ill and is now on a ventilator in intensive care.

Amongst other services one of my foreign clients also provide Emergency Repatriation services for insured claimants injured over seas. They have not had to repatriate to South Africa before and I am the only person they know here.

The patient is to be treated here in South Africa and is flying in on a fully equipped intensive care air ambulance. The last 24 hours have been spent liaising with immigration, the airport, the air ambulance company, the hospital, the land based ambulance company and a stack of individuals in five different countries.

We have another day or so to see the man stabilised and flown over.

There are something like 20 different people involved in getting this man to hospital. It is not an area of work I have ever been involved with before but I am most pleased to be working with a group of consummate professionals.

I hope the patient makes it. We are working damned hard to make sure he does.