Alicante is amongst the locations that will benefit from the integration of European Union funded underwater drones operated by the Guardia Civil.
The Guardia Civil showed off the ten GLADIUS MINI S model underwater drones with 4K UHD camera in the Port of Valencia, who will also have a drone stationed there, operated by the various Fiscal and Border Units, which will also include Barcelona, Bilbao, Malaga, Vigo, Algeciras, Puerto de la Luz, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and Santander.
The acquisition of this new equipment aims to reinforce the capacity of the Guardia Civil in the prevention and prosecution of smuggling of all types of illicit products, in a context increasingly characterised by the improvement of the concealment techniques that criminal organisations are attacking boats that arrive at the ports of the European Union, taking advantage of the different hidden holes they have, both above and below the water line.
The Guardia Civil thus increases its inspection capabilities in this type of environment, thus reinforcing the security of our external borders against all types of threats and particularly against smuggling.
The new underwater drones will allow a greater number of inspections to be carried out on the hulls of ships, thus complementing the function carried out by the Fiscal and Border Analysis and Investigation Units of the Guardia Civil (UDAIFF), in charge of carrying out risk analyses at the border that will allow said equipment to be deployed where necessary, and that of the GEAS (divers), Special Group for Underwater Activities, which would act when the need arises after the use of drones.
Likewise, these drones aim to increase port and maritime traffic protection with security-oriented reconnaissance.
The acquisition of this equipment has been paid for mostly by the European Union, with 80% within the framework of the EUAF 2021 aid program (Union Anti-Fraud Programme) of the OLAF of the European Union and the remaining 20% by the Guardia Civil.
