Ive heard of bank robbers being foiled by a “dye pack” put in their money stash. What is a “dye pack”?
In a typical bank robbery, the robber hands a note to the bank teller listing his demands, usually instructing the teller to put money in a bag or other object. The dye pack device was invented as a way to non-violently render a bank robbery pointless by permanently staining the stolen money a bright red color, alerting everyone to the fact that the money being passed to them is stolen. The dye pack used in over 75 percent of banks in the United States is called the “SecurityPac,” made by ICI Security Systems. A dye pack consists of a stack of real bills, usually of $10 or $20 denominations, with the dye device stuck in the middle of the stack. In the past, the device itself was made of a rigid plastic and was quite detectable to the skilled criminal. Today, however, new technology has allowed the dye to be housed i