A QUICK-thinking Brinsmead woman has used an application on her iPhone to assist police in tracking down three men allegedly responsible for breaking into her home and taking her handbag, phone and car.

After thieves broke into her home on Saturday night and the woman noticed her belongings and her car missing, she activated her iPhone's Find My Phone application and passed those details on to police.

Soon after, police were able to track the car to Trinity Beach and make a dramatic arrest.

Police followed the signal to the area before they spotted the woman's blue sedan travelling in slow-moving traffic along Trinity Beach Rd at about 8.40pm.

An officer from the dog squad unit sprinted to the car and snatched the keys out of the ignition, disabling the car, and the three men inside the vehicle were then taken into custody.

Cairns district duty officer Sen-Sgt Tony Law said it was at least the second or third instance he knew of where this type of technology had been used by police in the region to locate a stolen vehicle.

"The bottom line is we know there are phone applications out there and in the past it has assisted us in finding stolen property," he said.

"In the past we just used to ask people to record their serial numbers on property so this is much more effective."

Three men aged 23, 24 and 28 were arrested over the incident and the youngest, a Cairns man, was charged with one count each of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, unlicensed driving, contravening a direction and break and enter.

Meanwhile, police have charged three youths with a string of property offences allegedly committed in the Edmonton area.

A 13-year-old boy was charged with three counts of wilful damage, one count each of enter premises and commit, enter premises with intent, attempted unlawful use of a motor vehicle, attempted break and enter, attempted enter premises and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

A 14-year-old boy was charged with one count each of stealing, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and receiving tainted property.

A 16-year-old boy was charged with one count of burglary and two counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

All three will be dealt with under the provisions of the Youth Justice Act 2009. tag Anyone with information which may help police in their investigations can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestoppers.com.au24 hours a day. 

For all non-urgent police reporting or general police inquiries contact Policelink on 131 444.

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