In February 2023, a few minutes after midnight, during a routine surveillance flight, the helicopter of the German federal police identified two people on railroad tracks near Berlin[1]. Three police cars were dispatched to the location and the people were arrested on suspicion of attempted arson against the railway infrastructure.
In a 2024 trial, the two people were acquitted[2].
Techniques used
| Name | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Physical surveillance | ||
| Aerial | The arrested people were discovered at night by a helicopter on a routine surveillance flight, presumably equipped with night-vision equipment[1]. A text[3] reports that in 2022, during another routine surveillance flight near Berlin, the same helicopter turned off its position lights and muffled the sound of its rotor blades to avoid detection: “Although the helicopter could still be heard, the noise was diminished. This can lead to misjudging the distance of the helicopter or, if mixed with other noise such as a highway, not being aware of the approaching problem until it's too late.” | |