![]() ![]() Each of the six drivers provided NBC News with screenshots as evidence that they drove for Uber. “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 company said.įive of the six drivers agreed to speak with NBC News about their experiences on condition of anonymity to protect their safety because they said they feared retaliation from drug dealers and from Uber. The company declined a request for an interview. “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,” Uber said in a statement in response to written questions. Uber said that using its services for illegal activity is expressly prohibited, and that it takes reports of drug deliveries via Uber Connect very seriously. ![]() He provided NBC News with screenshots to confirm his identity and work for Uber. He asked not to be identified to protect his safety. And it’s just not worth it for 13 bucks,” said a driver in Southern California. “Even not knowing, you’re still caught holding the bag. On sites such as Reddit, which does not require verification that someone is a driver, people have wondered what kind of trouble they could get in if police pulled them over or if an irate customer found out they reported a package to authorities. While it’s not clear how often drugs are an issue for Uber’s package delivery service, it’s a hot topic in online forums for drivers. Uber itself said it had received six information requests from law enforcement related to suspected drugs and Uber Connect since 2021, although the company said that receiving a request doesn’t necessarily confirm its service was used to transport narcotics. And a sheriff’s office in Tampa sent a crystalized substance to a Florida state lab for testing after an Uber Connect driver turned it over in April. ![]() In January, Chicago police impounded a Band-Aid box with suspected narcotics after an Uber Connect driver told an officer she opened it and found what she thought was crystal meth. A nervous-looking person accepted the bag, he said, and Brock stopped driving for Uber shortly after. “I dropped off the package with quite a bit of dread,” he said. He guessed there was narcotics inside the box, but Uber prohibits drivers from tampering with a package, so he didn’t open it. There was a pen, some candy and a box about the size of two decks of cards covered in an excessive amount of tape. ![]()
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