Police bust an alleged drug deal in China using a drone
13 October 2020
Regional media have reported that police have used a drone to capture footage of an alleged drug deal taking place in the southern city of Guilin.
Shutterstock image
In a video shared with state broadcaster CCTV, police are depicted following a suspected drug dealer into an abandoned brick factory. It shows suspects exchanging what the police have said were illegal drugs and money.
The drone operation was live streamed to nearby officers on the ground, who then moved in to arrest four people.
Reactions on the Chinese social media platform Weibo were largely positive and praised the police for using such advanced technology.
But, Silkie Carlo, Big Brother Watch's Director, called the move a "leap forward for intrusive surveillance technology" when speaking to the BBC and said "it's particularly worrying that the UK and China are almost neck-and-neck in the race to monitor citizens with new tech.”