Two people were arrested for allegedly conducting a 'hazardous drone operation' near a Massachusetts airport as people in New Jersey demand answers for similar sightings. Robert Duffy, 42, of Charlestown, and Jeremy Folcik, 32, of Bridgewater, were taken into custody Saturday evening after flying an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) near Boston's Logan Airport.
![[Their arrest comes as unexplained drone sightings have mounted throughout the Northeast, prompting residents as well as state and local officials to demand answers]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/16/16/93187141-14197957-Their_arrest_comes_as_unexplained_drone_sightings_have_mounted_t-a-4_1734367268515.jpg)
The incident began at 4.30pm ET when a police officer specializing in real-time crime surveillance detected the UAS, which was smaller than the crafts being reported in New Jersey. 'Leveraging advanced UAS monitoring technology, the Officer identified the drone's location, altitude, flight history, and the operators' position on Long Island,' which is located in the Boston Harbor on the approach to the airport, the department added.
![[There is no evidence to suggest Duffy and Folcik are tied to the large drones that have reportedly plagued states such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/16/16/93178843-14197957-There_is_no_evidence_to_suggest_Duffy_and_Folcik_are_tied_to_the-a-5_1734367268516.jpg)
Officers were dispatched to that location and found three individuals inside the decommissioned Long Island Health Campus, finding a drone inside a backpack carried by Duffy. However, one of the individuals fled the scene using a 'small vessel' docked on the island located in Boston Harbor.
Duffy and Folcik are currently charged with trespassing, but they could face more charges and fines as the investigation unfolds, the department stated. Their arrest comes as unexplained drone sightings have mounted throughout the Northeast, which have been spotted over military bases and airports in recent weeks.
