Fifteen giant agricultural drones stolen from a shipping and logistics company in New Jersey in late March were found inside a warehouse in the state.
A phony delivery driver made off with the fleet of Ceres Air C31 drones on March 24 — sparking immediate concerns of a doomsday threat if the chemical-spraying tech fell into the wrong hands.
The New Jersey State Police confirmed that all 15 drones were found at Prudent Corporation, a trucking company based in Dover.
Fifteen stolen agricultural drones were recovered inside a warehouse in New Jersey. ABC7NY The drones’ rightful owners, shipping and logistics company CAC International, is based in Harrison, NJ — just 30 miles outside of Dover.
The fleet was dropped off at the Dover warehouse the same day it was taken, police said.
Workers at the warehouse eventually raised questions about the seemingly abandoned drones.
One employee flagged the bizarre discovery to police when reports about the theft started circulating early last week.
Homeland Security Investigations, an agency within Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and US Customs and Border Protection are still investigating the theft.
The thief, who is still at large, duped CAC International with a counterfeit bill of lading and a fake confirmation email. The company thought both documents were legitimate, according to The High Side substack.
The FBI was reportedly monitoring the fleets disappearance. One retired agent even warned to the outlet that the drones could easily be turned into “biological and chemical weapons” with the right resources.
The warehouse is owned by the Prudent Corporation, a trucking company based in New Jersey. ABC7NY “The bureau is freaked out for a good reason. These aren’t hobby drones with cameras. They’re industrial sprayers designed to carry and disperse significant amounts of liquid quickly and with precision,” former FBI agent Steve Lazarus said.
The Ceres Air C31 costs about $58,000 apiece and are designed to carry and spray up to 40 gallons of liquid chemicals in just seven minutes. While the drones typically disperse fertilizers and pesticides across 15-acre spans, a wide array of chemicals can be loaded into them, so long as it is in a liquid form.
He noted any laymen could create “a potential nightmare scenario” by abusing the “easy” to use tech.
“Even common chemicals, used improperly, can be a public safety danger,” he said.
The FBI is not included in the ongoing investigation.
