Mysterious Drones, Some SUV-Sized, Spotted Throughout South Jersey

SOUTH JERSEY — Groups of mysterious drones — some as large as SUVs — flew through South Jersey on Thursday night.

Evesham police received various reports of the drones traveling in groups of 4 to 8, mirroring descriptions of the devices of unknown origin that have been flying throughout the state.

Police in Cherry Hill, Mount Laurel and Medford have also received complaints about the drones that night, Evesham Police Chief Walt Miller said Friday in a news conference.

"They weren't like a normal drone that someone would purchase and use in their home," Miller said. "Some were described as large as an SUV with blinking lights on them."

Unexplained drones have been spotted flying over different parts of the state since mid-November, with most reported sightings coming from North Jersey. The drones have made nightly flights in some areas and sometimes travel in clusters.

Some officials have noted that the aircraft seem to be hovering near military facilities, water reservoirs and other critical infrastructure.

The devices flew in Evesham from around 8-11:15 p.m. Thursday before heading toward Cherry Hill, Miller said. He noted that there were sightings as far as Ocean County, and the drones appeared to be heading toward Philadelphia.

Since they fly at night, the drones are easiest to spot through their blinking lights, Miller said.

At times, they stopped and hovered over different parts of Evesham. But police are still investigating whether they may have been observing critical infrastructure, Miller said.

On Saturday, Voorhees police sent an advisory about an increase of "suspicious" drone activity in the area. Voorhees and Evesham border each other.

Local police departments have been coordinating with state and federal agencies as the FBI leads an investigation into the drone activity.

Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday that the drones pose "no known threat to the public at this time." But their origins and the motives of their operators remain unclear.

The FBI is asking that anyone who spots a drone call them immediately: Report possible drone sightings by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submitting an online tip to the FBI tip line.