GPS cat collar device used to catch burglars near Toulouse

The collar had been left in a car that was stolen during the incident

The cat’s collar, with its tracking device, helped gendarmes to find the burglars
Published Modified

A cat collar tracking device has helped gendarmes near Toulouse (Haute-Garonne) to catch a burglar gang.

On Saturday (May 28), the burglars arrived at a house in the village of Cintegabelle whose occupants – a couple – were out, and proceeded to rifle through the contents of a caravan positioned outside.

They then made off with their spoils in two cars also parked outside.

When the couple who live in the house discovered the burglary on returning home, they realised that, while their cat had not been taken, its collar had as it had been left in one of the two stolen vehicles.

They explained to the authorities that the collar was geolocatable, and gendarmes were able to use this technology to locate the suspects, tracking the device to a traveller site in Saverdun (Ariège).

The gendarmes arrived at this location a few hours later and found around 90% of the stolen objects as well as the two cars. During the operation, a man of about 30 years of age was identified and apprehended, being well known to police forces in the area.

He is due to appear in court in Toulouse this week.

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