Cartel attack drones ‘likely to become the norm’, says expertpublished at 13:36 GMT 29 October
Thomas Copeland
BBC Verify Live journalist
Brazilian officials say the Comando Vermelho gang used drones to attack police during an eruption of violence in Rio de Janeiro that left 64 people dead.
“Drones dropping bombs is now a trend used by heavily armed criminal groups,” says Dr Carlos Solar from the Royal United Services Institute.
The cartels are buying civilian drones from the open market and then adapting them to fight against competing gangs and law enforcement, he says.
“They are forcing the state police and armies to integrate counter-drone attack strategies” at a time when the Brazilian government is tightened austerity measures, Solar says.
“This reflects a broader militarisation of criminal organisations,” says Dr Irene Mia from the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
The cartels are exploiting emerging technologies “to present themselves as alternative centres of power and to intimidate both state authorities and the communities under their control.”
Other Brazilian criminal groups have demonstrated a similar resourcefulness in building weapons from unconventional supply chains, says Mia.
“There are documented instances of semi-automatic weapons being assembled domestically using Airsoft components, frequently procured from China, a technique that reduces traceability and cost,” she explains. “It is unfortunate to say that these drones are likely to become the norm,” adds Solar.
