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(Further details of the chemical activation are "classified.") Typically, the explosion of the dye pack compels the thief to throw the bag, so the bank gets its money back. When these chemical reactions take place, the package burns at a temperature of about 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 degrees Celsius), discouraging any attempts to remove the device from the bag. When the dye pack explodes, it releases an aerosol of red smoke, red dye (1-methylamino-anthraquinone) and, in some cases, tear gas. The dye pack is usually set on a timer of 10 seconds or longer so that the criminal is either in his getaway car or running a good distance from the bank before the package explodes. Once the dye pack passes through the door and receives the specific radio frequency signal, it activates. A small radio transmitter is mounted inside or near the door frame of all entrances of the bank. Within the dye package is a small radio receiver that is activated when the pack is removed from the magnetic plate. While the thief is still inside the bank, the dye pack remains dormant.
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During a robbery, a teller tries to slip one of the dye packs into the money bag without the thief noticing. A pack is put in "safe" mode by attaching it to a special magnetic plate. Bank tellers have several of these packs near their station at all times.