If you value your privacy, you may want to look away now.

After several successful trials in police raids, you can expect to see lot more crime-fighting drones whirring around the City of Cape Town. Drones give police an aerial advantage previously reserved for helicopters but at a fraction of the running costs.

The City sourced the drone used in a recent drug bust on the Cape Flats from local manufacturer Dronetec. A Dronetec W.A.S.P. Mk4 drone fitted with an infrared camera lay in wait as the police closed in on the suspect’s house. Thanks to the drone’s technology coupled with an LED spotlight and a Sony TV camera, police were able to use the drone to get thermal imaging on the suspects from above.


Surveillance drones, also know as RPAs (remotely piloted aircraft), add a new dimension to police operations, owing to their ability to get into places that may be inaccessible by foot. If a criminal flees from a scene or hides drugs, the ever-watchful eye of the surveillance drone would see it all and report back.

Last year it was  confirmed by the City of Cape Town that surveillance drones would be purchased to help keep a watchful eye on the public.

It’s beginning to feel like the future. Read more about policing and drones here.

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