Pepper-spraying drones to control Indian protesters

NEW DELHI: Police in a northern Indian city said Tuesday they have a new weapon for controlling unruly protesters in the world’s largest democracy: Pepper-spraying drones. Yashasvi Yadav, police chief of Lucknow, said his officers have successfully test-flown the newly purchased drones with a view to better crowd control. “The results were brilliant. We have managed to work out how to use it to precisely target the mob in winds and congested areas,” Yadav told AFP. “Pepper is non-lethal but very effective in mob control. We can spray from different heights to have maximum results,” he said. The city’s police force has bought five drones, costing about 600,000 rupees ($9,600) each, with their introduction planned for later this month, he said. The unmanned drones are equipped with high-resolution cameras. They can carry two kg of pepper and fly within a one-kilometer radius of their operator.