Spain Deploys Drones to Monitor Melilla-Morocco Border Ahead of Reopening

Two of the four drones acquired on an emergency basis by the Directorate General of the Civil Guard have been dedicated to this border surveillance mission, the Melilla Civil Guard Command said in a press release.

Fifteen Civil Guard officers from the Melilla command have been trained in the use, control and maintenance of these drones, Heraldo reports, noting that the deployment of these devices coincides with the reopening of the Beni-Ensar border crossing.

To read: Spain Deploys Military Drones to Bolster Border Security in Ceuta and Melilla

These Matrice 300 RTK drones are equipped with cameras capable of taking day and night images, a frequency jammer, drone presence detectors, infrared sensors, etc. Their main mission will be to strengthen the surveillance, security and protection of the border, both land and maritime.

The commissioning of these devices will provide a "valuable contribution" to the Civil Guard in the fight against illegal immigration, the armed institute points out, noting that these drones will make it possible to quickly locate migrants attempting to enter Spain by swimming or on makeshift boats and will facilitate rescue operations.