Seven Customs and Immigration officers in the British Bases are training as drone pilots to help detect and respond to illegal immigration and smuggling, particularly along the Green Line, the Sovereign Base Areas Administration said on Tuesday.
The training, provided by UK experts, will significantly increase the team’s ability to deploy drones within the bases to support a wide range of operations, according to Customs officials.
Drones can be used for intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance and enforcement, and give officers flexibility when responding to incidents and emerging threats, the administration said.
The drones have already been used to assist other British Bases units, including the Environmental Department and the Area Office, and are expected to support wider requirements through aerial imagery, site assessments and environmental monitoring.
The head of SBA Customs and Immigration, Mark Hartley, said embracing technology was essential as the service worked to strengthen its enforcement capabilities and improve how it identifies and responds to risk. “Better use of emerging technologies helps our officers make faster, better-informed decisions,” he said. He added that technology was there to support officers’ professional judgement, not replace it, and that officers remained at the heart of operational decisions.
SBA Customs and Immigration is also responsible for other enforcement and regulatory work, including inland immigration, fisheries enforcement and monitoring sea bathing areas.
