Scooters fitted with hidden transmitters (update)
Tuesday 28 October 2008
Police have secretly attached at least two transmitters to the scooters of young men in Amsterdam whom they suspect of involvement of serious crime.
'Scooters are often used as getaway vehicles in muggings, armed robberies and car window smashing,' spokesman Ebe van der Land told Tuesday's Parool newspaper.
The use of transmitters to track suspects emerged when two young men discovered the devices attached to their scooters which had been confiscated by police and then returned.
Police say the public prosecution department had given permission to install the tracking devices.
Lawyer Sander Janssen told paper that the police can only track suspects if they have concrete suspicions that the owner of a scooter is involved in crime. 'If this is just to keep an eye on where the boys are, it is Big Brother and you can go to court to test its legality,' he said.
One of the men who found a transmitter told tv station AT5 he is considering legal action. He has refused to return the tracking device to the police.
© DutchNews.nl
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Monday: Between 2º and 5º with light snow or sleet. Around zero at night. Similar Tuesday
The wonder is that the police thought these tracking devices would not be detected, despite - as a police spokesman admitted - being the size of a lunch box!
I'm also surprised DutchNews didn't include that fact.
I for one am wondering where on earth they hid them.
By Garry | October 29, 2008 8:23 AM