Andrew Heinzman
A gang of Yorkshire car thieves managed to steal five Mitsubishi Outlanders using a gadget disguised as a Game Boy. West Yorkshire Police say the device is worth £20,000 and can unlock and start keyless cars in “a matter of seconds.”
First reported by the BBC, the trio of car thieves were pulled over (in their own car, not a stolen one) on July 20th. Police found the “Game Boy” in a “secret compartment” and quickly learned how it worked from a video on one of the thieves’ phones.
Police note that this video was narrated in a mocking tone, though it reveals some important details. The “Game Boy” only works on keyless cars, and because of its complexity, it’s only programmed to work with one model of vehicle. That’s why the gang only stole Mitsubishi Outlanders.
But we aren’t really sure where the fake Game Boy case came from. I mean, we know that it’s the same case used in knockoff “SUPREME” Game Boys that people sell on AliExpress, but we don’t know who used it to conceal the £20,000 car-unlocking device. Either this small gang had a unique idea, or someone is selling universal key fobs disguised as Game Boys.
West Yorkshire Police identified the car thieves as Dylan Armer, Christopher Bowes, and Thomas Poulson. When their sentences end, they’ll have a unique story to tell their retro gaming friends.
Source: West Yorkshire Police via BBC
