Stolen Agricultural Drones Recovered in New Jersey
In late March, authorities located 15 large agricultural drones that had been stolen from a logistics company in New Jersey. These drones were found in a warehouse in the same state.
A fake delivery driver had taken off with a fleet of Ceres Air C31 drones on March 24, sparking concerns about the potential dangers if such chemical-spraying technology were to end up in the wrong hands.
The New Jersey State Police confirmed that all 15 drones were located at Prudent Corporation, a trucking company based in Dover.
The drones belonged to CAC International, a transportation and logistics firm situated in Harrison, about 30 miles away. Interestingly, the vehicle used in the theft was left at the warehouse the same day.
Eventually, employees at the warehouse became suspicious about the seemingly abandoned drones. When news of the theft circulated the following week, someone reported the unusual find to the police.
Currently, Homeland Security Investigations, part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, are continuing to look into the case.
The perpetrator remains unidentified and successfully deceived CAC International using a counterfeit bill of lading and a fake email confirmation. The company, unfortunately, considered these documents to be genuine.
Reportedly, the FBI had been keeping tabs on the disappearance of the drones. A retired FBI agent even mentioned that, given the right resources, these drones could potentially be turned into “biological or chemical weapons.”
“The bureau has good reason to be panicking. These are not just hobbyist drones. They are industrial sprayers designed to handle and disperse significant amounts of liquid swiftly and precisely,” explained Steve Lazarus, a former FBI agent.
The Ceres Air C31 models cost around $58,000 each and can carry and spray up to 40 gallons of liquid chemicals in a mere seven minutes. Generally, they are employed to apply fertilizers and pesticides over large areas, but a variety of liquids could be loaded onto these drones.
Lazarus pointed out that the technology is easy enough for amateurs to use, which raises the stakes and creates serious public safety concerns if misused.
“Even ordinary chemicals can lead to risks to public safety if misused,” he added.
It’s worth noting that the FBI is not currently involved in the investigatory efforts.
