Stolen NJ crop-dusting drones recovered — no arrests, questions remain

🚨 15 agricultural drones worth $870K were stolen from a Hudson County warehouse

🚨 The powerful crop-dusting drones could be dangerous if used improperly

🚨 An investigation is ongoing with no arrests

DOVER — Fifteen high-powered agricultural drones capable of spraying chemicals over wide areas in minutes vanished from a New Jersey warehouse in a theft that had authorities on edge over how dangerous they could be in the wrong hands.

The $870,000 heist set off alarm bells across law enforcement, with investigators scrambling to track the missing equipment amid fears the GPS-guided crop dusters could be repurposed for something far more sinister than farming.

Now, after days of uncertainty, State Police say the drones have been recovered. Officials have not announced any arrests or released details.

The drones were stolen on March 24 from CAC International, a logistics and shipping company in Harrison. They were found by the State Police Cargo Theft Unit nearly 30 miles away inside Prudent Corporation's warehouse in Dover. The company provides warehouse storage, trucking services and licensed commercial moving.

A company spokesperson did not respond to New Jersey 101.5's request for more information on Monday afternoon.

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State Police said the investigation was ongoing with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Patrol. Troopers did not disclose if anyone had been charged with a crime.

Each of the GPS-guided Ceres Air C31 drones is considered a crop duster that can spread 31 gallons of liquid over 15 acres in eight minutes. The website High Stack reported the FBI was "freaked out" by the theft of the drones, each valued at $58,000, because in the wrong hands their use could prove to be deadly.

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