When Mia Forbes Pirie and her husband Mark Simpson discovered their £45,000 Jaguar E-Pace missing from Hammersmith, they activated the car’s hidden AirTag. Within minutes, the tracker showed the vehicle parked nine minutes away. Consequently, the couple knew exactly where to find it.
Police Hesitate on Recovery
However, when the couple alerted Metropolitan Police, officers offered only a “vague” promise to perhaps send a patrol car. Despite having precise coordinates from the AirTag, Forbes Pirie says the force told them to call back if they needed help on site. Therefore, the pair felt compelled to act on their own.
Bold Retrieval in Chiswick
Late that afternoon, Forbes Pirie and Simpson drove to Chiswick where the Jaguar sat unguarded. Then they learned thieves had bypassed the factory immobilizer but not their personal second device. After proving ownership to the car company, they remotely re-enabled the immobilizer. Finally, they slipped behind the wheel and drove the Jaguar home.
Underlying Risks and Advice
Although the adventure felt “exciting,” Forbes Pirie admits she worried thieves might attack them. Moreover, law-enforcement and Apple strongly advise against confronting criminals directly for safety reasons. Instead, experts recommend alerting police and monitoring quietly until backup arrives. Otherwise, personal recovery efforts could escalate into dangerous encounters.
Growing Trend of AirTag Tracking
In recent years, vehicle owners worldwide have hidden AirTags in their cars to counter theft. Reports show trackers have guided users to dumped or abandoned vehicles. Yet, the success of this London couple highlights gaps in police response when technology delivers precise locations. Consequently, some communities call for clearer protocols on using digital trackers in theft investigations.
