According to arrest documents, Phoenix police found one of the devices when they arrested three burglary suspects.
It's the sort of thing you'd expect to see in a spy movie, but Phoenix police claim it's the sort of thing thieves have been using to gain access to high-end homes in the valley: cell phones and Wi-Fi jamming devices.
According to Phoenix police, around 7:30 p.m., surveillance officers spotted multiple suspects in the Camelback Hill neighborhood near 44th Street and Camelback Road.
Police said officers saw the suspect enter a home and attempt to break into the residence.
The suspect then left the home and got into a waiting minivan, but the vehicle was prevented from leaving by police.
Arrest documents say the driver hit the police car at high speed. Four people got out of the car and ran away, police said. Police set up a cordon in the area and found and arrested three suspects. A fourth suspect has not been found.
All three were carrying forged identification, police said. In addition, they are in the United States on overstay visas.
Police also found "burglary tools" that the suspect threw as he ran from officers. One of these tools is a wifi jammer.
Bernard Zapor, a former ATF agent and current faculty member at Arizona State University, said the devices are highly sophisticated.
"It might actually capture your phone transmissions and show your location as you move," Zapoll said.
How the suspects obtained the device is unclear, but Zapoor said it is similar to equipment used by law enforcement and intelligence agencies for investigations.
These burglaries are becoming more common in high-end neighborhoods. Phoenix police say there have been about 111 burglaries across the valley since last February.
The suspects reportedly targeted wealthy families, stealing about $3 million worth of jewelry, cash, luxury purses and more.