The Phenomenon of the ‘Narco Drones’
The newest trick that drug dealers have embraced is the use of technology to deliver their product. Uncovered by vice; drug cartels have established a new way to smuggle drugs across borders, into secure facilities and for even smaller transactions within the local market. It is a global crisis that law enforcers are having a challenge dealing with. The nature of this mode of transaction is very appealing to the drug dealers as it is a very affordable method and the icing on the cake is that drones can’t snitch.
To better understand this phenomenon, we can look at drug smuggling using inventions from a historical perspective. In the 1980’s, small privately owned planes were notorious for their services in delivering kilos of cocaine, heroin and marijuana. These smugglers were at the heart of the ‘war on drugs’. Colombian cartels were the dominating force at the time, while Mexico’s gangs were more of the middle-men and passageway to the United States.
These planes had designated drop-zones where they target inactive airports, deserted areas mainly in the southern region and swampy areas. This however was soon cut short by the advancements made by U.S law enforcers, they improved their radar technology and forced the smugglers to opt for other ways other than the sky.
Some got very creative and began using semi-submersible boats using underground water tunnels. The challenge with this method came with the expenses incurred purchasing and sustaining that level of technology. Furthermore, establishing these routes and canals while maintaining trustable connections proved to be a bigger challenge.
Smugglers also continued using mules to fly them through commercial flights, but that too proved to be a challenge as it involved a lot of risk of being exposed by the mules and the cost of paying the mules.
Narco drones
As the drug trade continues to adapt to technological advancements, narco drones have emerged as a formidable tool for traffickers, posing a significant challenge for law enforcement agencies worldwide. These unmanned aerial vehicles, ranging from affordable quad-copters available at retail stores such as Walmart costing a little of a few hundred dollars to sophisticated six and eight-motor aircraft used in film-making in Hollywood have become integral to the drug smuggling landscape.
Unlike the high-profile smuggling methods of the past, narco drones are easily accessible and characterized by their small size and affordability. Entry-level quadcopters that are readily available at retail giants like Best Buy and Walmart for a few hundred dollars have become the go-to choice for many drug traffickers and peddlers allowing them to deal at the comfort of their home and devices; technology does make work easier but sadly it does for everyone, even the bad.
However, the landscape also includes more advanced models resembling those used in the film industry, costing upwards of $5,000 and capable of carrying substantial payloads of up to 35 pounds.
One of the most challenging issues faced by law enforcement is the sheer volume of narco drones crossing borders on a daily basis. The clandestine nature of these aerial smugglers makes it difficult to ascertain their numbers accurately or even identify the majority of them. The challenge doesn't rest solely on the shoulders of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); rather it extends across all government agencies globally. In the face of this evolving threat, tackling narco drones requires a collaborative and innovative approach from governments and law enforcement agencies worldwide. As technology continues to advance, staying ahead of the curve in countering these aerial smugglers remains a critical objective for those tasked with maintaining air domain awareness and securing borders.
Tim Bennett, the program manager for air domain awareness at the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate where his role is dedicated to detecting, tracking and countering drones, sheds light on the gravity of the situation.. He also emphasizes that narco drones are "a new big problem that we all have to address. It is not just a task for the Department of Homeland Security, it’s across all agencies in our government and all governments in the word.
Global impact
The illegal use of drones in the drug trade is not confined to a specific region; it is a global phenomenon with far-reaching implications for law enforcement and border security. The adoption of cheap flying robots to smuggle drugs has become a widespread practice, transcending borders and challenging authorities worldwide.
In Lahore, Pakistan, a city bordering the Punjab where the head of a police narcotics unit faced dismissal amid suspicions of orchestrating a drug trafficking gang that utilized narco drones to transport narcotics into India. This incident highlights the adaptability of criminals to leverage technology and law enforcement bodies for their illicit activities.
The Jordanian air force in an attempt to counter a drug smuggling transaction, shot down two narco drones transporting crystal meth from Syria. According to Caroline Rose from the New Lines Institute in Washington DC, this marked the ninth such incident in 2023. Syrian drug cartels smugglers, especially those dealing in captagon and meth have increasingly turned to these Narco drones due to heightened security at the Jordanian border.
Mexican cartels are known to regularly deploy narco drones to transport a range of drugs, including cocaine, meth and heroin across the U.S. border. This underscores the international nature of drone-assisted drug smuggling.Drug trafficking cartels in Latin America and the Golden Triangle in Southeast Asia also use drones as reconnaissance tools using them for scouting out routes and potential risks.
Drones have also become a tool of choice for drug smugglers seeking to breach high-security prisons globally. From Brazil and France to Australia and the U.S . Authorities are grappling with the challenge of preventing illicit substances from entering prisons via drone drops.Due to a surge in the number of drones carrying drugs and mobile phones into jails, the U.K. government had to implement no-fly zones around all its prisons in October last year.
Spanish police recently intercepted a massive drone with a 4-meter wingspan capable of carrying up to 150 kilograms of cargo, being used by a French drug cartel gang to traffic drugs from Morocco to southern Spain. In 2022, underwater drones were discovered designed to smuggle up to 200 kilograms of drugs across the Strait of Gibraltar through the Mediterranean Sea.
Drones are not only tools for criminals; law enforcement agencies globally also employ them. From heat-seeking drones uncovering indoor cannabis farms in the U.K .to police employing drones ion assisting in catching street drug dealers in Kyrgyzstan, their role in maintaining security is expanding and evolving to help them counter the pressing security concerns that technological advancements brings with it.
According to Peter Warren Singer, an expert on national security, drones are expected to become commonplace in drug dealing and not the criminal type. With legitimate medicines set to be delivered by drones in the U.S. and potentially in the U.K. The landscape of drug-related activities is poised for further transformation. The use of drones will be global and at all levels and the consequence of it landing into the wrong hands is inevitable.
The Phenomenon of this Drug Drones or better yet Narco Drones is quite intriguing and will be a challenge that's here to stay for a little while. As law enforcement agencies continue to catch up the more the criminals become wiser and get desperate. However it is not impossible to curb these matters, with cooperation from the different countries especially those heavily affected, the use of drones for the wrong reasons can be stopped.
