One of the objectives of the authorities is to make sure that the border becomes as smart as possible and has the widest possible area covered with technical means, while the shortage of staff, which today stands at about 20%, is not felt. The General Border Police Inspectorate (GBPI) will expand its drone fleet and drone shooting down system, IPN reports.
The Border Police chief Ruslan Gălușca told RFE/RL’s Moldovan Service that the fleet of the Border Police at present consists of around 60 drones and several anti-drone systems, but this figure will certainly be increased.
Border guard patrols are equipped with drones to better monitor border segments. Ruslan Gălușca noted that this new component of the Border Police has already delivered results as a number of violations were recorded and illegal border crossing channels were detected with the help of drones.
He also said that the drone shooting down system will also be extended because those who pursue illegal interests at the border use, for their part, drones to transport smuggled goods, to examine the border area or to identify Border Police patrols. The institution has revised its budget, but also enjoys support within projects funded by foreign partners.
In the Service’s podcast, Ruslan Gălușca also told how the Border Police cooperate with the European Agency Frontex. Currently, about 170 officers of the Agency are working on the borders of the Republic of Moldova. They were deployed in stages last year, following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
