Tech

Some Uber drivers are worried they're being used as 'drug mules,' report says

An 'Uber' placard sits on top of a car roof and a person walks past in the background.
One Uber driver said he was given a bag he assumed contained drugs and took it to the police. Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images
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Some Uber drivers are reportedly worried they are unknowingly delivering drugs via Uber Connect, the company's courier service.

Six drivers from the US and Australia told NBC News they were concerned that customers were using them as "drug mules." 

One driver told NBC News he took a package to a police station after he was given an almost empty plastic bag.

"All I could see inside was one little baggy that had two crystallized forms in there," the driver told the outlet. "Immediately, I assumed it was some kind of narcotic." 

The driver took the suspicious package to the police, according to NBC News, but said he was nervous as the customer could track him on the Uber app. 

"I had my head on a swivel, because this person can see that I've diverted from the route, and if they know the area — which isn't very far from their house — they can see I'm sitting outside the substation," he said. 

Uber prohibits customers from using the service to deliver illegal items, alcohol, medication, or recreational drugs, per a company website. However, parcels are also required to be securely sealed and drivers are forbidden from opening or looking inside packages. 

Representatives for Uber did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment made outside normal working hours.

In a statement to NBC News, an Uber spokesperson said: "When we receive this type of report, our global safety team investigates and may take actions ranging from deactivating the relevant account to reporting the issue to law enforcement." 

"The misuse of shipping and transportation platforms to deliver illicit drugs is an industry-wide issue, and we will continue partnering with law enforcement to address it," the spokesperson added. 

Uber has faced scrutiny over safety concerns since its launch. These include accusations of sexual assault from both drivers and, more recently, 550 female passengers

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Beatrice Nolan was a tech reporter on the business news team in the UK. She joined Insider in January 2022 as a fellow on Business Insider's careers desk. Beatrice covered tech and the future of work, with a focus on artificial intelligence. Some of her stories and early experiments with ChatGPT are widely cited. Beatrice has also discussed her work covering AI trends on panels and radio shows, including NPR.She was based in Business Insider's London office and graduated from the University of  York with a bachelor's degree in English.Featured Articles:Artists say AI image generators are copying their style to make thousands of new images — and it's completely out of their control.ChatGPT was a black swan eventFinland is the world's happiest country, but Finns say we're confusing happiness for something elseThe world is splitting between those who use ChatGPT to get better, smarter, richer — and everyone elseThis man used AI to write and illustrate a children's book in one weekend. He wasn't prepared for the backlash.ChatGPT has only been around for 2 months and is causing untold chaosTwo professors who say they caught students cheating on essays with ChatGPT explain why AI plagiarism can be hard to proveChatGPT wrote college application essays. Admissions professionals said they passed for essays written by students but wouldn't have a chance at any top colleges.College professors are considering creative ways to stop students from using AI to cheatChatGPT wrote my cover letters. Here's how recruiters responded.