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Putting the Squeeze On Broadband Copper Robbers

nk497 writes "As the price of copper rises, thieves have taken to stealing broadband cables, taking out internet connections and slowing down the rollout of super-fast broadband by giving engineers more work to do. To battle the criminals, UK provider BT has 21 investigators on staff to track down thieves and has started using SmartWater bombs that spray stolen property and the criminals. The SmartWater liquid carries a DNA fingerprint that links a criminal to the scene of the crime and police units carrying ultra-violet light detectors can use the incriminating stains to make an arrest after the trap has been sprung. 'We had one case recently where someone in Dagenham was stopped and searched after acting suspiciously and the police used a UV light on them and could show that they had been tampering with the equipment,' said Auguste. The SmartWater liquid can also be pasted inside cables, making them easier to trace — and less appealing to scrap metal buyers, helping to cut demand for stolen copper."

2 of 282 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Smart water? by Errol+backfiring · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Off course. And like any "smart" option in MS-Office, you don't want to be use it.

    --
    Nae king! Nae laird! Nae yurrupiean pressedent! We willna be fooled again!
  2. Re:Smart water? by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I'd recommend seeing a doctor, as I don't think that brown urine is normal.

    It comes from drinking the Zune kool-aid.

    It's a rare disorder.