Barcode ID’s Criminal

Barcoding and crimefighting seem to go hand in hand. We’ve already seen how a handheld barcode scanner was used to fight off a convenience store robber.

Now comes a story from the UK how a burglar was traced by the barcode label that fell off his chisel.

Thief Roy Watson nearly made a perfect getaway after smashing through the wall of an electrical store to steal £33,000.

But the 38-year-old left behind a barcode from a chisel he used during the break-in.

The inch-long scrap of paper was traced to a Wickes DIY store. Officers trawled CCTV footage and saw Watson buying the tool hours before the burglary.

The crook admitted the crime and has been jailed for two and a half years.

Source: Barcode foils burglar: Thief traced after label fell off his chisel