Tailed through cyberspace
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.