Drones Disrupt Hostage Situations

The FBI says that criminals are using drones to disrupt hostage situations.

20:25 07 May 2018

A top FBI official has confirmed that criminals are using drones for a number of illegal activities. Joseph Mazel, the FBI's operational technology law unit chief, said that on one situation, criminals deliberately flew several drones to disrupt a hostage situation that took place in the outskirts of a large US city.

 

He said: “We were blind” when drones suddenly appeared, carrying out a series of “high-speed low passes at the agents in the observation post to flush them out.”

 

According to the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC), the criminal use of drones is rising and they are often used by criminals to smuggle smartphones and drugs into prisons.

 

Jeffrey Antonelli, a lead attorney specialising in drone and BitTorrent litigation, added: "I talk to a lot of people in the drone industry, and we've heard of the Mexican drug cartels using drones for at least 10 years to smuggle drugs across the border,"

 

An NPCC spokesman said that the agency is taking necessary measures.  He said: "As part of any operational planning for public events, police are now considering the malicious use of drones and how they will counter that risk,"

 

"From news reports, practical experience and events within the prison service, quite clearly we're seeing an increasing risk in drone usage, and that's why as an organisation we're doing something about it. "