Drone Squad To Be Launched By Tokyo Police

Tokyo police are ready to deploy drone squads, which are developed to find and – if required – seize nuisance drones that are flown by public citizens.

This police unit is expected to patrol key buildings in the city, including the office of the Prime Minister.

Upon detection of a drone considered suspicious, its operator will receive a warning through loudspeakers.

However, if the operator does not respond to the warning, drones will be launched by police that are equipped with specialized nets used to bring the device down.

Here is what a senior police security bureau member said to the websiteAsahi Shimbun:

Earlier this year, a drone that carried a small portion of material that was radioactive landed directly on the office of the Prime Minister’s roof. There were no injuries reported, and the operator was arrested shortly after the incident.

Jijicom, a Japanese site, posted a video showing how police drones catch rogue airborne devices with nets.

Airspace Limitations

Paul Haswell, partner of the legal firm known as Pinsent Masons, said the following to the BBC:

Drone regulations started to be enforced this past week in Japan after an amendment was made to the nation’s Aviation Act.

Drone use rules are in the process of becoming more strict in a number of countries. For example, in America, authorities want to enforce drone registration, which will name device owners all over the country.