Apple's Find My iPad tool leads Thai police to notorious gang hideout

Apple's "Find My iPhone, iPad and Mac" tool has proved to be a pretty useful tool since its launch in 2011, helping iCloud users track down and recover countless devices, whether they were misplaced, stolen, or simply in your pocket. Recently used to track down a stolen iPad mini in Thailand, the feature led the Thai police to a rented gang hideout harbouring members of a notorious local gang.

According to local reports, the iPad mini was stolen from its owner in a drive-by motorcycle theft on Saturday 16 April which led to a police report. Police used the device's Find My... tool, which provides a map showing exactly where the gadget is located, to track down where the thief had taken it. The feature led them to a rented hideout where they found members of a gang called Ma Diaw, responsible for eleven or more robberies in northern Bangkok.

Police managed to apprehend one of the suspects, Pornchai Phungjayaem, while the other members reportedly jumped out of a window and into the nearby Chao Praya river to escape. Following a police manhunt, two of them were arrested at a pier near the Kheman Phirataram temple. In addition to recovering the stolen iPad mini, police also found cash, drugs and ammunition in the rented hideout.

The essential tool has helped police stop numerous crimes since its launch in October 2011 as a free tool for all iCloud users. In February 2016, the tool helped police track down a kidnapped teen in Pennsylvania. In April 2012, an eight-year-old from Tennessee used the app to help track down his family's stolen Apple devices and accidentally discovered $350,000 worth of stolen items.