Technology used to solve crime: Apple Airtags used to catch theives and recover stolen items
Apple Airtags have been used to stalk people, though they have also been used to catch stalkers. But Airtags have also been used to catch theives and recover stolen items. Here is a list of some examples.
1) Recovering stolen car.
. . . someone did steal the Santa Fe at exactly 2:39 a.m., but this time, the car’s owner was far better prepared for the crooks.
Joshua Wylie says he installed a surveillance camera in his apartment window and focused the lens on where he parks his SUV.
Wylie said he captured the people who took his wheels on video.
Not only that, but unbeknownst to the criminals, Wylie hid a simple device that tracked the movements of his vehicle called an “Apple Air Tag.”
When Wylie arose to find his vehicle stolen Friday morning, he watched his video of the criminals in the act of stealing his SUV, then with the help of Memphis Police, tracked his car to an address on Tillman near a police precinct.
2) Recovering stolen luggage.
Apple’s AirTag has helped police arrest a baggage handler who stole luggage from passengers at an airport, as well as the recovery of more than $15,000 in jewelry and other items.
On August 11, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office revealed it had conducted an investigation into suspicious activity at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport. The sheriff’s Airport Security Unit were alerted to thefts relating to stolen luggage handled by an employee.
Airline subcontractor Giovanni De Luca faces two counts of grand theft, the Sheriff’s Office states.
The investigation started in July, after a traveller discovered her luggage hadn’t arrived at her destination. The luggage, containing items worth more than $1,600, had gone missing during transit.
As the traveller had placed an AirTag in her suitcase, she had a record of its travels, and that it was last active in the area of Kathy Court in Mary Esther. Police cross-referenced employees who lived in the area, and discovered De Luca.
After meeting De Luca at his home, the suspect admitted to rummaging through the passenger’s suitcase for items, and removing the AirTag. . . .
3) Recovering stolen backpacks.
North Carolina
. . . The thief stole a backpack that had an Apple Airtag attached to it. Investigators tracked it to southeast Charlotte and identified Javiere Green as the alleged thief.
When police arrived at the home where the tracking device said Green was, police said Green jumped into a car and sped off, but he still had the backpack with him. Investigators followed the trail to Fernwood Drive in southeast Charlotte and arrested Green there.
According to a records search, Green has been arrested five times since 2019 for drugs, stolen firearms and breaking into vehicles. . . .
WSOC, “NC police say they used Apple Airtag to track down serial thief,” WRAL.com, June 9, 2022.
Portland
a guest in the hotel told police that someone had broken into his room and stole some items, including a distinct backpack, which had an Apple AirTag attached to it.
Officers were then able to track the suspect into North Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau.
Police said a deputy from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and officers found the suspect, with the backpack, near North Interstate Avenue and North Killingsworth Street.
Officers tried to stop the suspect but he ran off. Police said officers chased him to the 5800 block of North Minnesota Avenue where they were able to take him into custody. . . .
KATU Staff, “Apple AirTag helps Portland police track down robbery suspect,” KATU.com, May 20, 2022.
4) Recovering (Australian)$10,000 in stolen camera equipment.
Sydney resident Graham Tait discovered this on a holiday in South Australia this week when $10,000 worth of items were stolen from his car while parked at a hotel.
“My car was broken into whilst we were travelling in the Flinders Ranges last night and they took a laptop bag and camera – both of which had AirTags fitted,” he said. . . .
“I used the Find My app and tracked the missing items down to a room in the hotel we are staying in,” he said. . . .
Police were called and are now dealing with the alleged offender. . . .
