Giurgiu Customs will have a drone

An airplane-type drone with vertical take-off and equipped with thermal imaging cameras will operate at Giurgiu Customs in order to improve border surveillance capacity and combat illicit trafficking of goods.

Border guards say they also need the most efficient and modern equipment to identify illegal migrants.

The border between Romania and Bulgaria, between the cities of Giurgiu and Ruse, will also be guarded from this fall by a state-of-the-art drone, says the chief inspector of the Territorial Inspectorate of the Border Police Giurgiu, Chief Inspector Viorel Chiran.

Viorel Chiran: The fourth drone, which will be allocated to Giurgiu County, is on its way. It is extremely high-performance. It is about the size of a small airplane. The drone is functional, but it was given in support of another territorial inspectorate and at the end of the fall it will come back to us. We have trained more than enough staff.

It can detect people and cars at night, even from 4km away.

Viorel Chiran: It has very high capabilities. All the drones are equipped with thermal imaging cameras, they are very powerful. I have personally checked them and I can tell you that from here, from the Bizetz bridge, you can see in thermal vision and infrared up to the border point. They are badly needed.

Border guards say this will make it easier for them to fight cigarette smuggling and illegal migration.

Translated by: Radu Matei