Police officer uses Pokémon Go to catch criminals

There can’t be any doubts now of Pokémon Go’s world domination - even the police are getting in on the action.

A police station in Virginia is using its Facebook page to invite "random citizens" to try and catch a super-rare Pokémon in their processing room.

It’s worth noting no one has actually caught Ditto in the game yet, but that’s not what the police want to catch - their “random citizens” all have outstanding warrants .

The administrator of Smithfield police department’s page, Sgt Bryan Miller, told The Virginian Pilot he decided to make a list of eight people with outstanding warrants a little more exciting.

“I have a sense of humour,” he said. “I had no idea it was going to be this big.”

He added he wasn’t expecting anyone to actually turn up.

Of course, this isn't even the first time this has happened since Pokémon Go was released.

Two weeks ago, police in New Hampshire did the same scheme but with a Charizard - another sought-after Pokémon.

Success

While it’s unlikely any of the “lucky” few named in either post will actually come forward, police have actually already caught one criminal thanks to Pokemon Go.

A man in Detroit cycled to his local police station, which was also a gym in the game, to play.

Unfortunately for him, police officers recognised him as someone with an arrest warrant.

Guardian service