Two suspected drug dealers took their business to new heights, Riverside police say. Officers arrested the two Riverside residents after an investigation that began when officers observed a drone take off from a backyard and deliver a package of narcotics to customers in a nearby parking lot.
On Dec. 21, police raided the home, where they discovered: meth, LSD-laced candles, fentanyl-containing powder, hypodermic syringes and the drone in question.
Police arrested two residents associated with the house: Benjamin Baldassarre, 39, and Ashley Carroll, 31. They were booked for possession of controlled substances, possession of controlled substances for the purposes of sales, conspiracy to commit a crime, and child endangerment.
There have been numerous reports of criminals using drones to deliver drugs, cell phones and other contraband to prison yards, but Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback said that he believes this is the first time that someone has used a drone to transport illegal drugs in the city.
What is next? As more issues like this arrises, states and local police will apply more presures on the FAA to solve the problem or start creating their own rules. The latest update from on the FAA on this is the FAA UAS remote tracking ID report that was published few weeks ago that could possibly allow law enforecement to track drones using a "Digital licence plate" new tracking technology.