Drones to crack down on human trafficking on Belgian coast

Drones to crack down on human trafficking on Belgian coast
Credit: © Belga

Police units at the Belgian coast have equipped themselves with three drones in order to help them track irregular arrivals and human trafficking, a police spokesperson said on Wednesday.

The drones will be employed by the Westkust police zone and will fly over the around twelve-kilometre strip between the resort towns of Nieuwpoort and De Panne, according to RTBF.

The acquisition concerns one large drone and two smaller ones worth a combined €80,000, according to the outlet.

"It's a lot of money, but we have big expectations," Westkust police chief Nicholas Paelinck told Belgian media.

The drones will reportedly be employed to monitor irregular arrivals into Belgium from the coast and to detect migrants and crack down on human traffickers.

Additionally, police will employ the drones to find children lost at the beach, support searches for missing people and avert drownings.

The most expensive of the three drones can reach speeds of up to 60 kilometres per hour and weighs an estimated six kilograms.

While it can fly one kilometre above the ground, the police will only fly it up to 90 metres for security reasons.

Gabriela Galindo

The Brussels Times


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