Teen Scooter Thieves Nabbed Thanks to High-Tech DNA Spray
Two 17-year-olds were busted after a wild scooter chase in Camden ended with them coated in invisible DNA tagging spray—hot evidence linking them to stolen scooter crimes.
High-Tech Tagging Snags Scoot Thieves
The Metropolitan Police used SelectaDNA Tagging Spray, an invisible, UV-revealing substance, to catch the culprits. This cutting-edge tech marks vehicles, riders, and clothes with unique DNA codes, making it simple for cops to ID offenders.
This innovative spray is part of the Met’s crackdown on moped and scooter crime—and it’s working. Forces across the UK, including West Midlands, Cheshire, Surrey, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, and Police Scotland, have seen arrests and convictions thanks to SelectaDNA.
Chase Ends in Camden with Spray and Sting
The drama kicked off on April 29 when a delivery driver’s locked scooter was pinched on Maitland Park Road. On May 1, officers spotted two teens tearing along Pond Street on the stolen scooter. They refused to stop, even as they sped recklessly across Fleet Street junction.
Police scrambled air support, dogs, and ground units to track them down. When the scooter tried mounting the footpath near Cressy Road, officers hit the riders with the DNA spray and used a tyre deflation device to stop the bike.
The two fled on foot, dumping the scooter in the street. Suspect A was caught straight away, while Suspect B was found hiding in a garden shed half an hour later.
Stolen Scooter, Multiple Charges
- Both teens arrested for aggravated taking and driving away.
- Charged with dangerous driving and driving without insurance.
- Traces of DNA spray on their skin and clothes linked them directly to the stolen scooter.
- Later also arrested in custody for theft of the scooter.
They remain in police custody at a north London station.
Commander Julian Bennett said: “Police are making the streets hostile territory for criminals who steal scooters and mopeds, then use them to commit other crimes. Our new technologies—DNA spray, slim-line motorcycles and tyre deflation devices—are making a real difference.
“If you commit a scooter-related crime, you WILL be found and arrested. We’re using every trick in the book to get offenders behind bars.”
Selective DNA Spray: A Game Changer
SelectaDNA Spray targets offenders on illegal scrambler bikes, mopeds, and motorbikes linked to robberies, assaults, and smash-and-grab raids.
The spray leaves a uniquely coded, invisible mark on suspects and their vehicles. Under UV light, the markers glow bright, providing indisputable forensic evidence to nail criminals and keep communities safer.
