Amsterdam police bug suspect scooters.

03 Nov, 2008

A rise in bag-snatching offences in the Dutch capital has prompted police to experiment with secret transmitters attached to the scooters of suspected thieves. The use of the transmitters was discovered and made public when police returned two previously confiscated scooters to their owners without removing the bugs.

According to Amsterdam police figures, between five and ten bags or computers are snatched by scooter riders each week, either from pedestrians or through car windows. The practice of smashing car windows while vehicles are at traffic lights in order to get at valuables lying on the front seat is also becoming more common. Police have advised motorists to hide valuables in the boot or under the seat.