Hartford, Connecticut - By using an Apple Watch to track their victim, a group of seven thieves were able to chase down a drug-dealer and steal more than $500,000 from him. Though they were later caught, the case raises questions about how easy it is to be tracked without your knowledge.

Though their lawyers deny their participation, new details have been revealed in the case of a seven-person crime ring who planned and carried out an elaborate heist in January 2020 using an Apple Watch.

Their leader, Darren Lindsay (30), hid an Apple Watch in the bumper of their target's car and tracked him to a hotel in another state.

As originally reported by the New York Post, because the Apple Watch is equipped with its own data connection, they were able to simply use Lindsay's connected AT&T account to follow the watch.

MacRumors clarified that because of this choice in tech, their victim – a drug dealer they believed was loaded with cash – had no idea he was being tracked at all.

The man's car was located in a parking garage and the group busted his windows out of his car, but found nothing, so they laid in wait. Eventually, he returned and was cornered. Though shots were fired, there no injuries sustained. The perpetrators were able to get his hotel key card, and another member of the group, a woman named Indigo Grant, was able to make off a bag from the room that contained over $500,000 in cash.

The group eventually released their victim, and went on to take pictures posing with their haul. Some members of the crew were picked up later in July in relation to other robberies. So far, Lindsay and Grant are pleading not guilty.

Even before the AirTag was released, consumers have been concerned about possibly being tracked without their notice.

Apple emphasized during the release that features such as the AirTags making a beeping sound after being away from the connected device for three days, as well as showing up on nearby iPhones, will keep people safe from being stalked.

However, the fact that the crime ring used an Apple Watch, which doesn't necessarily show up on other devices, should remind everyone to be even more cautious about being secretly tracked.

And what about people without an iPhone, who can't use it to check for the presence of an AirTag or Apple Watch?

According to MacWorld, you can use a Bluetooth scanner app to check and see if there is an AirTag or other generic Bluetooth tracker nearby. If you do happen to find an AirTag, remove its battery.

There is still no solution for knowing if there is an Apple Watch nearby if you're not connected to the watch through an account or the "Find My" network. Other than carefully checking your car, bags, and clothing, Apple has yet to provide a safety feature for the possibility of getting tracked through wearable devices.