Police to set up Drones Division to help combat illegal activities

by Norman Palihawadana

The Police Department unveiled plans to establish a Drones Division to help in efforts to curb illegal activities across the country.

“We have already acquired four drones with advanced technological features and another 17 are in the pipeline”, a senior police official said.

Expressing optimism of setting up the proposed Drones Division before the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, he noted that the drones, which are considered an “electronic eye in the sky”, will be deployed in all provinces across the country.

“With the use of these drones, we will not only be able to stem crimes but also identify persons wanted by the police for criminal activities”, he said.

The drones will also cover the Northern and Eastern provinces, the police official said, adding that the Southern Expressway will also be placed under surveillance.

Many other countries use drones in their crime fighting and prevention efforts, he pointed out.

He said the drones will augment the existing surveillance cameras which play a pivotal role in not only curbing criminal activity but also bringing to book road traffic offenders.