A drone was used to record pin numbers on camera in Co Antrim, new reports have claimed.
The flying device was used to collect personal information from bank users.
According to The Belfast Telegraph, there has been a surge of shop-bought remote controlled drones in the UK.
Investigators into the matter found that drone-related crimes that were reported to the police rose from 94% to 352% in 2014, and again surged dramatically to 425% in 2015.
According to the PSNI, a drone was being used to record people’s pin numbers at an ATM in Templepatrick as people entered their secret information.
Witnesses told the police that when the drone was spotted filming at the ATM, it flew away and crashed into a car.
A man was under suspicion over the incident and was forced to pay money to the driver of the car, but officers at the scene of the crime were unable to charge the man for recording as it was impossible to prove it was being used for criminal purposes.
Drones and mini helicopters are currently easy to purchase without any licence or permit to access them, and following the incident many are afraid the loophole regarding flying devices will be easily used by paedophiles or drug traffickers.
David Dunm a professor at Birmingham University who has researched unmanned aerial vehicles, spoke of the dangers surrounding drones and helicopters:
“At the moment, you can buy one of these things in a supermarket without any safeguards. We are lacking accountability or a deterrence”
“The police are being forced to use laws that were designed before the invention of drones fit in terms of personal safety and privacy, but actually what we need is a drone bill through the House of Commons to address the technological challenges.”
