Apple AirTag helps apprehend drug mastermind

The United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), using an AirTag tracker, was able to track down and apprehend a drug manufacturer.

Here's What We Know

According to a search warrant shared by Forbes, it happened last year. In May, border guards intercepted two parcels from China with equipment used to produce drugs. They contained presses and dyes for pills.

The police attached an AirTag to the inside of the package and were thus able to trace the parcel and find the mastermind behind the production. This appears to be the first time AirTag has been used to track down a drug trafficker.

It is not known why the police used AirTag. A retired detective who spoke to Forbes suggested that the Apple tag provided a more reliable connection than other devices, or there had been previous failures with the GPS devices available to police.

Either way, AirTag is not suitable for surveillance, as after numerous harassment complaints Apple has taken care of user safety. For example, the tracker beeps if the owner is absent for a short period of time. The nearby tag can also be detected using the Find My app on the iPhone or the Tracker Detect app for Android.

Source: Forbes