THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Dutch police have arrested twin brothers on suspicion of robbery after their alleged
victim spotted a picture of them following him on Google's Street View map application, a spokesman said
Friday.
Paul Heidanus, a police spokesman in the town of Groningen, said he believed it was the first time Street
View images had been used in a Dutch criminal investigation.
"For us, it is unique," he said.
wow goldA 14-year-old boy told police last September he had been robbed of euro165 ($230) and his cell phone after
two men dragged him off his bicycle in Groningen,110 miles northeast of the capital, Amsterdam.
The victim called again in March after seeing an image of himself and two men he believed were his attackers
on Street View, police said in a statement.
Health Top Tips Nutrition Love Lifestyle Happiness Weight Loss
wotlk goldHeidanus said prosecutors sent a formal request to Google for the original photo because people's faces are
blurred on Street View.
"You must tell Google clearly why you want them," Heidanus said of the photo request. In this case, "the
photo could provide an important contribution to solving a crime."
The company complied, and a robbery squad detective immediately recognized one of the twins.
Prosecutors will now decide whether to charge the suspects, whose identities were not released.
wow goldSince it was launched in 2007, Street View has expanded to more than 100 cities worldwide. But it has drawn
complaints from individuals and institutions that have been photographed, including the Pentagon, which
barred Google from photographing U.S. military bases for the application.
A spokesman for Google in the Netherlands did not immediately return a call seeking comment.