Customs will collaborate with Defense to keep suspicious private flights in mind
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Customs will use the Radars of Defense to keep an eye on private aircraft that may be used for criminal activities. Both institutions announced this on Monday during a press conference at Charleroi airport.
Source: Belga
Today at 2:18 PM
Traffics increasingly use private flights to transport drugs or cash, says Kristian Vanderwaeren, administrator general of customs. Such flights offer criminals a lot of benefits. For example, the route cannot be known by the authorities or be changed, the time between landing and taking off can be very short and transponders (the equipment on board with which the radars of the air traffic control can determine the position of the aircraft in the controlled airspace) can easily be deactivated.
In addition to its six airports, Belgium also has 150 airports and heliports where private aircraft can land in all discretion. For example, more than 27,000 private flights were carried out in Belgium last year.
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Follow flight
To supervise aircraft for which the activity seems suspected, a customs officer will from now on be seconded to the National Center for the Security of Airspace. Flights can be followed with the radars of Defense, even though their transponders are eliminated.
« With better information work, the information will be able to take us to airports where we have never been because of a lack of resources, » said Vanderwaeren. In 2024, customs only registered about thirty violations with regard to private flights.
« Criminals can be very creative and adapt quickly, » said Finance Minister Jan Jambon. « The battle is difficult but there is no alternative. We must constantly try to strengthen the available resources. »
