The Joint Agency Task Force Operation Sovereign Borders is supporting the Sri Lankan Police to establish an aerial drone surveillance capability.
At a virtual ceremony, Commander of the Joint Agency Task Force Rear Admiral Mark Hill, along with the Australian Federal Police, gifted the Sri Lankan Police five aerial drones to support crime fighting in Sri Lanka.
The drones will be used in a wide range of activities including natural disaster scene assessment and recovery, transnational crime investigation and to counter maritime people smuggling.
Admiral Hill said Australia values highly the cooperation of our international law enforcement partners in combating transnational crime.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Sri Lankan Police for their continued efforts to deter and disrupt illegal maritime people smuggling activities in Sri Lanka,” RADM Hill said.
AFP Senior Officer Sri Lanka, Rob Wilson, said the new drones could be used in a range of ways to enhance the operational capabilities of Sri Lankan Police.
“These drones will provide a strong capability boost to help identify people smuggling ventures in otherwise hard to access areas, while also providing assistance for search and rescue operations, surveillance and crime scene observation,” Senior Officer Wilson said.
“We’re proud to have strong domestic and international partnerships that provide policing support to the region.”