A man from Tenerife is being investigated for alleged harassment after his former partner discovered an electronic tracking device on her car. The investigation began after the woman received an alert on her mobile phone warning her that an active tracking device was travelling close to her location.
She was inside her vehicle when the notification appeared and began searching both the interior and exterior of the car to establish where the signal was coming from.
During that search, she discovered the tracking device.
The woman subsequently went to the Guardia Civil station in Güímar and reported what had happened.
Given the nature of the allegations, the case was taken over by the Guardia Civil’s specialist Violence Against Women team in Santa Cruz.
Investigators identify former partner
Officers carried out enquiries and gathered evidence which allowed them to identify the suspected person responsible for placing the tracking device on the vehicle.
Investigators say the man had previously been in a relationship with the woman. He is now being investigated as the suspected perpetrator of an offence of harassment in the context of gender-based violence.
The case has been passed to the specialist Court for Violence Against Women in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Following the police investigation, the court has imposed a restraining order preventing the man from approaching the woman while proceedings continue.
Neither the woman nor the man under investigation has been publicly identified.
Phones can warn users about unknown trackers
The circumstances highlight a security feature now incorporated into modern smartphones which can alert users when certain unidentified Bluetooth tracking devices appear to be moving with them.
Small electronic trackers have legitimate everyday uses, such as locating keys, luggage and other belongings, but their size and ability to report their location can also potentially allow them to be misused to monitor another person's movements.
In this case, it was the notification received by the woman on her own phone that prompted her to search the vehicle and ultimately locate the device.
The Guardia Civil has not publicly specified the make or model of the tracker allegedly discovered on the car.
The investigation was handled by officers specialising in violence against women, who gathered the evidence before passing their findings to the appropriate court.
The judicial proceedings remain ongoing.
