The GNR took the drones away from those who intended to use them without the necessary permission.
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| GBR Seizes Five Drones In Fatima Municipality |
This past Saturday, May 13, it was revealed that the National Republican Guard (GNR) discovered five drones in violation while conducting security operations for the worldwide pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Fátima. There were no reports of robberies, although there were minor traffic restrictions.
Captain Joao Lourenço, public relations for the GNR, told the Lusa agency that "this year, there was the detection of 16 drones starting to fly or flying (...), of which five were found to be in violation, since the airspace was prohibited, and the notice of administrative offense was lifted [and] it will be communicated to the competent administrative entity."
This official claims that persons who wanted to use these unmanned aerial vehicles without the necessary permits had their drones taken away.
When speaking with Lusa at 2:00 p.m., the captain mentioned that the security measure put in place because of the first significant pilgrimage of the year to the Sanctuary of Fátima ends on Sunday but that for now, the balance is favorable.
He said, "The operation has been going as planned," saying that on Friday "there was a large flow of people," estimated at 220,000.
The captain emphasized the absence of theft records as evidence of illegal activity.
The public relations officer stated that "this is also the outcome of a work done" in the framework of crime prevention" and "an event of this sort, with such a substantial number of people concentrated, I underline the fact that we have no record of thefts".
While underlining the commitment to crime prevention as "one of the main objectives of this operation," which includes ensuring security and traffic movement, he said that the GNR reported to "only one false beggar" (last year, there were 14 in the May pilgrimage).
When asked about the traffic congestion that followed the festivities on Friday night, as reported by Lusa, captain Joo Lourenço explained that Fátima had been recording the arrival of thousands of pilgrims for several days and that people intended to leave the city in a period of "a hour, hour and a half" after the ceremonies.
As it did after today's mass, he said, "It is natural that there is some traffic congestion." He added that this "flows within what is possible normality," noting that on Friday there had been an accident that had caused "embarrassment from a road point of view."
On May 12 and 13, thousands of people celebrated in the Sanctuary of Fátima, and the temple estimates that almost 200 thousand people attended the last service today.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state for the Vatican, oversaw the annual international pilgrimage.
Approximately 700 troops from the GNR are participating in the Sunday-ending pilgrimage security operation.
Source: Observador