The recent arrest of an alleged Warsaw drug dealer put a spotlight on a growing trend — transporting illegal drugs with the help of drones.
The arrest of Erika Bruner stood out not only for the large amount of drugs in her possession and the eye-popping confessions she provided police, but also for the fact she possessed a drone that police allege was used in drug deals.
Drones and narcotics have grown in use for illegal drugs, foremost with cartels on the southern border and then across the country as a way to drop contraband into prisons.
David Miller, executive director of the Indiana Drug Enforcement Association, said police are aware of drones dropping off drugs at prisons and said he was aware of the allegation in Warsaw.
He said that as corporate use of drones delivering a wide variety of products expands over the next decade, he expects illicit use of the technology involving drugs to follow suit.
“Law enforcement, in my opinion, would be naive to believe drones will not be used more often in the future to transport items of criminal nature,” Miller told News Now Warsaw during an interview last week.
A news release from the Kosciusko County Net 43 drug task force mentioned the drone but charging documents later issued did not provide any details about the use of the device. A request for more information was declined by detectives, in part because it’s an active case.
Kosciusko County Sheriff Jim Smith told News Now Warsaw that it’s not the first case of a drone being used in such a way by suspects and said he believes more drug dealers will try to do so in the future.
Drones are an attractive alternative to face-to-face sales because the devices are small, inexpensive and hard to track once launched. Additionally, they can be flown from a significant distance away, making it difficult to identify the operator.
Indiana police have documented at least one attempted delivery of drugs to inmates in an Indiana prison, prompting passage of a bill by the General Assembly prohibiting the flight of drones near correctional facilities, Miller said.
The use of drones can eliminate constant, short-term traffic at the homes of dealers for purchases — a telltale sign of illegal drug activities that neighbors tend to pick up on.
While drones have geographical limitations, dealers (hypothetically) in Warsaw who are seeking to make a transition with somebody in Syracuse can easily travel to that area, park in a nearby parking lot and then launch the drone to its destination just a few blocks away.
Police credited tips from the public in the Jan. 17 arrest of Bruner, but details of insights about the drone were not included in court documents.
But Miller points out that neighbors who suspect drug use and then see drones coming and going should alert the police.
“Something constantly coming back and forth — especially if they see things attached to the drones. That would be highly suspicious of that activity,” Miller said.
A wide variety of technology is being used to thwart cartels and others and Miller said that trend will likely continue on a more local level.
“Indiana law enforcement will continue our efforts to provide the training and tools required to keep our children safe, ensuring public safety and removing the scourge of fentanyl and other illicit drugs,” he said.