Robber rumbled on Facebook
New Zealand police are claiming their first arrest resulting from information received via their page on Facebook.
A would-be burglar broke into the Frankton Arms Tavern, Queensland, in the early hours of Monday morning, intent on robbing the safe of the weekend's takings. Equipped with an angle grinder and crowbar, he spent about an hour fruitlessly trying to cut through the steel shell. Getting rather hot from his exertions, he removed his balaclava disguise and only then did he spot the security camera which was recording his every move. Queensland police posted images on its Facebook page and by Tuesday morning someone recognised him and passed his details on to the police.
Whilst Facebook isn't exactly the sophisticated hi-tech solution that you might expect if you are an avid fan of CSI, it is still higher tech than is needed to solve many crimes. Other criminals recently made life even easier for the authorities. In Nova Varos, Serbia, a 33 year old man wearing a balaclava and distinctive bright red trainers held up the bank at gunpoint. He escaped with the equivalent of around £30,000. Minutes later he returned to the bank, minus balaclava but with the same clothes and distinctive bright red trainers and tried to use the banks' own money to pay off his overdraft. All the teller had to do was keep him talking until the police arrived.
In Chicago, Thomas Infante's career as a bank robber came to a premature end when he made off with $400 after pushing a threatening note across the counter to the teller. When police arrived, they discovered this mastermind had written the demand note on the back of his pay slip. Meanwhile, in Stow, Ohio, police have arrested a 24 year old bank robber who entered the bank in his ski mask disguise, carrying a fake pistol, and patiently queued up in line until it was his turn to be served.
Finally, a special mention must go to Miroslaw Dabrowski of Warsaw, Poland. When police searched for him in his aunt's flat he attempted to evade capture by disguising himself as a carpet. He rolled himself up in a rug and propped himself against the wall on the balcony. He almost got away with it. After two hours of searching for him, one frustrated police officer went out onto the balcony for a cigarette and became suspicious when "the carpet started trembling".
19th January 2009
This article comes from the SKILLZONE email newsletter, published monthly since January 2008, and covering topics related to technology and the internet. All articles and artwork in the SKILLZONE newsletter are orignal content.