Police in New South Wales have charged two men over an alleged attempt to use a drone to deliver methamphetamine, in what authorities say is a troubling example of technology being used for illegal drug distribution.
According to police on Thursday, officers on duty reported seeing two men acting suspiciously at a residential complex in Wollongong, about 68 kilometres south of Sydney, on Tuesday night.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found the two men, aged 43 and 24, who told police they were searching for a drone that had crashed within the complex.
A search of the area led to the discovery of a damaged drone carrying a bag containing 66 grams of methamphetamine.
The two men were arrested, and a follow-up search of a Wollongong home on Wednesday uncovered an additional 42 grams of methamphetamine, an electronic stun device, and 4,350 Australian dollars (3,100.4 U.S. dollars) in cash.
Both men have been charged with supplying such quantity of a prohibited drug.
Police said it would be alleged in court that the men were using the drone to deliver drugs in the area when it crashed.
If convicted, both face a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment.
