Dutch police taking measures after Chinese spy balloon in U.S. airspace
The National Police are taking measures after the United States found suspicious balloons in their airspace, which they believe the Chinese government used for espionage. The Dutch police will use fewer drones made wholly or partially in China, a spokesperson for the National Police told De Telegraaf.
The danger is “real,” according to the spokesperson. “We are aware of the risk of espionage,” she said. “Developments are not standing still. We keep a close eye on them and adjust our measures accordingly if necessary.”
She stressed that while the police use drones made in China, they don’t use Chinese apps to control them.
In the past year, the police used drones for enforcement, investigation, or aid provision 2,350 times. That is more than twice as much as in the previous year. Some of the drones in the police’s arsenal were made by the Chinese technology company Da Jiang Innovations.
Earlier this month, the United States shot a Chinese balloon out of the sky. The U.S. government said China used the balloon to spy on them, but China claims it was only a weather balloon that had blown off course.
