During EM games in NRW - 86 police interventions regarding drones at stadiums
During the EM games in NRW, there were 86 police interventions regarding drones at the stadiums. This was revealed in a dpa survey among the responsible police departments. In many cases, the pilots were caught. In no case did the police report a terrorist background.
Top performer Dortmund
Instead, it was private individuals who had launched their flying devices near the stadiums despite the ban. Dortmund topped the list. According to a police spokesperson, "49 drones in the vicinity of the event area were detected or discovered" at Dortmund during the EM. No device made it beyond the stadium: "In some cases, specific measures were initiated by the drone defense." Thirteen pilots were caught.
21 drones in Cologne
The law enforcement officers found 21 drones during the five matchdays in Cologne. In thirteen cases, the pilots were still located - they received a report. "Further processing is the responsibility of the Luftsicherheit department of the Düsseldorf District Government," said the Police Cologne.
Pilots in Gelsenkirchen were clueless
The police identified ten drones in the vicinity of the stadium in Gelsenkirchen. "In eight of these cases, the pilots identified and apprehended acknowledged not knowing about the applicable flight ban," said a police spokesperson: "In two cases, no pilots or drones could be located in the affected area after detection. In one of these cases, the drone was taken over electronically by the officers, but not brought down."
Few incidents in Düsseldorf
According to police reports, there were only six interventions related to drones in Düsseldorf. All of them were thwarted. In each case, the pilots were identified.
Before the tournament, NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) had already announced that the police would be in action at every EM stadium in NRW with the latest drone defense technology. Drone defense could function mechanically or electronically - that is, with jamming devices or with capture nets. A coordinated concept for drone defense had been developed in NRW for the EM, according to Reul before the tournament.
- In North Rhine-Westphalia, which hosted the EM games, there were 86 police interventions regarding drones at stadiums, as revealed by a dpa survey.
- Despite the ban, private individuals launched drones near stadiums, with Dortmund recording the highest number at 49.
- In the case of Dortmund, specific measures were initiated by the drone defense to prevent any device from going beyond the stadium.
- In Cologne, 21 drones were found during the five matchdays, with 13 pilots being located and reported.
- Gelsenkirchen's police identified ten drones close to the stadium, with eight pilots acknowledging their ignorance about the flight ban.
- Düsseldorf had fewer incidents, with only six interventions related to drones during the EM games, all of which were successfully thwarted by the authorities.
