Police in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh have bought five drones capable of showering pepper spray on disorderly citizens.
Uttar Pradesh has previously hired drones for surveillance in "sensitive" parts of the state, but the Times of India says the gadgets will now be used to "control unruly crowds".
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Police in the state's capital city of Lucknow, about 300 miles east of Delhi, have used drones to take aerial images during a number of festivities, including Republic Day and Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar.
"We had used drone cameras and they were so effective that we have decided to purchase them instead of hiring them. They will be used throughout the city for aerial surveillance," said Yadav.
The gadgets, which can fly up to 600 metres high in a one kilometre radius, would help with checking crimes and keeping track of criminals. Lucknow police are likely to be the first in the country to own the high-tech surveillance gadget, he added.
But Lucknow is apparently not the first police force in the world to purchase drones with the intent of quelling dissent.
According to Sputnik News, drone maker Desert Wolf sent its "Skunk Riot Control Copter" – equipped with four high-capacity paintball barrels and room for 4,000 pepper balls – to Turkey and South Africa.
Each barrel can release up to 20 balls per second to "control unruly crowds without endangering the lives of the protesters or the security staff".
Some police forces in the UK have tried out drones as a cheaper alternative to the technology used in helicopters for surveillance and to track down suspects on the run.
-
Political cartoons for January 11Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include green energy, a simple plan, and more
-
The launch of the world’s first weight-loss pillSpeed Read Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have been racing to release the first GLP-1 pill
-
Six sensational hotels to discover in 2026The Week Recommends From a rainforest lodge to a fashionable address in Manhattan – here are six hotels that travel journalists recommend for this year
-
Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
-
US nabs ‘shadow’ tanker claimed by RussiaSpeed Read The ship was one of two vessels seized by the US military
-
Will the mystery of MH370 be solved?Today’s Big Question New search with underwater drones could finally locate wreckage of doomed airliner
-
How Bulgaria’s government fell amid mass protestsThe Explainer The country’s prime minister resigned as part of the fallout
-
Normalising relations with the Taliban in AfghanistanThe Explainer The regime is coming in from the diplomatic cold, as countries lose hope of armed opposition and seek cooperation on counterterrorism, counter-narcotics and deportation of immigrants
-
Pakistan: Trump’s ‘favourite field marshal’ takes chargeIn the Spotlight Asim Munir’s control over all three branches of Pakistan’s military gives him ‘sweeping powers’ – and almost unlimited freedom to use them
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
