A suspected drug dealer is behind bars after US coppers tailed him through the World of Warcraft game.

Alfred Hightower had fled the United States after he was arrested for drug dealing in the town of Kokomo near Chicago. Sheriff's deputy Matt Roberson told AFP that he heard that Hightower was an avid WoW player and so he contacted Blizzard Entertainment - the company that developed and publishes the game.

After a subpoena and a few letters Blizzard sent the deputy "a package of information" on Hightower, including the fugitive's IP address. Using the IP address Roberson was able to locate the guy in Ottawa, Canada. He contacted the local coppers to arrest him and deport him. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison, and probably will not be playing for a while.

Blizzard have not said if Hightower's arrest was the first made with the help of the witches and warlocks of World of Warcraft or if the company had previously provided police with details of users of their gaming systems, including an IP address, which would be duller. However it is another case of coppers entering virtual words to nab real life criminals.