A Russian citizen was arrested on Friday morning after being observed taking photos at Tromsø Langnes airport, police said in a press release on Saturday.
Updated less than 20 minutes ago
The case is up to date.
The 51-year-old man accused was captured with a large amount of photographic equipment, including a drone and a number of memory cards, according to police.
He is accused of flying a drone in Norway and was asked to be held for four weeks.
The man does not live in Norway and explained that he crossed the border in Storskog on Thursday on his way to Svalbard on a business trip. The man admitted flying the drone, but he says he only photographed for private purposes.
The man asks to be released, his defender Ola Larsen told NTB.
– What I can say for the moment is that my client has made a statement to the police and that today he asked for his release at the detention hearing, says the lawyer.
This is the second arrest of a Russian with a drone in Norway this week. First, a Russian-Israeli man was arrested after him on Tuesday he was stopped by a drone at the Storskog border crossing in Finnmark.
He explained that he is on a business trip
Police attorney Jacob Bergh says the man was carrying a couple of handheld cameras and a drone.
– He explained that he filmed for private purposes and that he is here on a business trip, says Bergh.
– Of the kidnapping that we have examined, we have seen, among other things, images from the Kirkenes airport and images of the Bell helicopter of the armed forces. The Police Security Service (PST) is involved in the case, Bergh says.
Filming or photographing in airports is not prohibited, not even for Russians. But since the war broke out in Ukraine, the Russians have been banned from flying ships or drones in Norway.
– Is the danger of espionage and sabotage a major problem in this case?
– This is the background for the flight ban. It is relevant, yes. But in this case we have nothing concrete. It’s too early to tell, Bergh replies.
Police say one of the images shows one of the Norwegian Armed Forces Bell helicopters. This is an old model helicopter used in Norway from the 1980s.
– Is it the helicopter that is in focus in the photo?
– I can’t say for sure. But I understood it as if she had photographed a helicopter, Bergh replies.
The Minister of Justice: – Luckily the police are vigilant
Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) commends the police for their vigilance in relation to the arrest.
– I am aware that the police arrested a Russian with a drone at Tromsø airport. At the same time, I cannot comment on cases that are being investigated. But it is good that the police are vigilant, the Minister of Justice told Ntb.
Mehl also says stepping up efforts to uncover illegal activities on Norwegian soil is a top priority.
– The police have a close cooperation with PST and the stepping up of preparedness that has been done over the past six months has worked well, he says.
