Its a mugin if anyone is interested (take the manufacturer specs with a handfull of salt) <a href="https://www.muginuav.com/product/mugin-5-pro-5000mm-super-large-vtol-uav-platform/" rel="nofollow">https://www.muginuav.com/product/mugin-5-pro-5000mm-super-la...</a>
I spend about 1/3rd of the year each year in Spain and an "interesting" development related to drug trades is happening here: basically lots of people realized cannabis plants were flowering as well, if not better, in Spain than in Morocco.<p>The EU / Spanish polices also got apparently much better at intercepting cannabis dealers trying to pass from Morocco to Spain (hence maybe these new drones attempts).<p>So now there are both individuals and gangs (including gagns from Morocco and from eastern europe) growing a huge lot of weed in Spain. As in: it's becoming very big business.<p>Individuals have the right, legally, to grow up to two cannabis plants (I think two plants for one adult in the household is the rule and you can legally by flowering and auto-flowering cannabis seeds in shops). But quite some individuals are, illegally, growing much more than two plants as a way to meet months' ends.<p>Technically this delivery drone is impressive but dealers from Morocco have much bigger problems than trying to stuff ganja into drones without getting intercepted: growing cannabis plant and making hashish and ganja directly in Spain, at cheaper prices.
That is a pretty advanced design. It's hybrid gas/electric and the manufacturing looks excellent as well. I was expecting something patched together along the lines of the semi-submersibles that we have previously been shown.<p>On another note, I really don't see that thing carrying 150kg (330lbs) of useful payload. That would be an aerodynamic marvel for forward flight, and there is just no way those 4 electric motors can support vertical flight with a 150kg payload.<p>I am just an r/c hobbyist and would love to know if I am off on the payload somehow.
I wonder what the radar cross section on this thing is? It's going to be at least comparable to that of a small light aircraft – which are <i>easily</i> detected by primary radar. I think flying this across the med with no flight plan, no transponder, and no legitimate paperwork would be a very good opportunity to get it filmed extensively in-air for free by a friendly European airforce. Quite possibly including an explosive and quick landing, too!
Am I completely off-base in thinking almost everything about a submersible drone is a better idea? No radar signature, much bigger haulage, can idle in location for much longer when needed, and presumably supports somewhat surreptitious unloading at sea if needed?
The next interesting step for drug dealers will be last mile of delivery of product to customers.<p>Imagine coupling a Web app with a swarm of drones that can drop product on your back porch in a matter of minutes.<p>You can bet it's coming for illegal products.
"The drug gang was flying the drone using an electronic system that relayed the exact takeoff and landing points, and used waypoints – i.e. places during the flight where it had to change course. It could also be flown using remote control." - Does that mean it was likely using GPS to follow a particular route?
>> In total, 30 kilograms of marijuana and 55 of hashish were found during the operations in Spain and France.<p>Yeah. A bit ambiguous. I guess the mention of cocaine was to improve the profile of the bust.
This is a really good example of technology being used by criminals to circumvent law enforcement while putting the public at risk. While I personally think drug laws need to be updated, the more interesting discussion here is about creating technologies that can cause serious harm to the public and making them cheap and easy enough to be used by anyone with a small amount of financial backing and a strong insentive.
Interesting! :-)<p>But article makes no sense. They write about the drone used for smuggling cocaine because it is the most lucrative thing, but they found only a few dozen kg of marijuana and hashish each where it was stored?
The police could intercept 90% of the drugs and the price of the remaining 10% would go so high that the smugglers would keep making billions.
The police has a thankless never ending job until society's attitude changes.
> The drone can reach altitudes of 2,000 meters (around 7,000 feet), but in general would fly much lower in order to save fuel and avoid detection.<p>Fly <i>lower</i> to save fuel? How does that make sense?
The picture is rather deceptive, making the drone look huge compared to the men standing behind it. When you play the video you'll see it's not that big.
This is within the price range of a flying car (or to be clear, a flying coffin; it's pretty tight in there, and I doubt the safety).<p>I'd like a flying car!
That drone is basically an ultra-light aircraft, able to carry the weight of one or two (slim) adult humans.<p>Vertical takeoff and landing may be overkill for that use case. They could probably get away with Ardupilot and just crash the drone...<p>Fortunately, most people who are able to build such a drone (I think many drone-hobbyists could) are smart enough not to go into drug smuggling.
I’m surprised that this doesn’t happen more often. With drone technologies advancing so fast, it was truly inevitable. The next step is just to use the right coat to become invisible to radars and you’re GTG. Unless that’s already happening and they are just getting away with that and we simply don’t know.
Can carry up to 150 kilos. Article doesn’t mention street value. I’ve no idea. If it’s cocaine, is that millions of dollars? This is Morocco though, so more likely hashish, which would be worth considerably less. How much though? Just trying to visualise cost of drone vs reward ratio.
Portugal has all drugs decriminalized. I guess smuggling drugs <i>into</i> Portugal is still illegal (and the distance is farther).<p>Can't wait till we end the stupid "war on drugs".