Capture of Drug Smuggling Drone Gives a Glimpse of Future of Trafficking

Rabat – Spanish police have intercepted a large drone carrying drugs en route to the Sun Coast in Andalusia, signifying the dawn of a new era in illicit drug trafficking operations.

The unmanned drone has a wingspan of 4.5 meters, is capable of flying for over seven hours, and is able to carry up to 150 kilograms in cargo, reported the Spanish news outlet El Pais.

Pictures released by Spain’s National Police show the drone dwarfing the Spanish officers standing in the background, with the unmanned aerial vehicle looking more like a small airplane, rather than a “toy” drone.

With the capability of flying up to 170 kilometers per hour, reaching the maximum altitude of 2,000 meters, this type of Chinese-made drone can cost from €30,000 (MAD 317,000) to €150,000 (MAD 1.6 million) apiece.

“We’ve never seen a drone this big used for this purpose,” said Pedro Luis Bardon of the Spanish National Police, adding that “there were some precedents, but not like this. This is the biggest one ever found in Spain.”

The use of drones has provided organized crime groups with new methods of trafficking drugs and other illicit products. Previously, criminal organizations relied on public aviation, land smuggling, and the traditional seafaring routes. However, due to the advancement of technology, trafficking authorities are discovering a variety of new creative methods of smuggling.

In the past decade, Smugglers have sought alternatives to planes, helicopters, and light aircraft. Drones are proving to be an increasingly viable alternative technology that has enabled organized crime groups to minimize personal risk and maximize profit.

Another example of technological innovation aiding illicit trade was when last year, in the Spanish province of Malaga, authorities discovered a nine-meter-long submarine with an estimated cost of €1 million (MAD 10.6 million) which was capable of accommodating tons of illicit substances in a single shipment.

“Technology makes our lives easier, but it also ends up in the hands of the bad guys,” said the Malaga police chief, Roberto Rodríguez Velasco, adding that “[smugglers] innovate and we have to do so too.”