Global police network counters drone threats

Washington, June 30 (IANS) Law enforcement agencies from dozens of countries are sharing intelligence in real time through a multinational command centre in the United States as authorities respond to more than 1,100 drone detections and hundreds of other security threats during the FIFA World Cup, US officials said. 

Officials from the White House and the FBI said the International Police Cooperation Centre (IPCC), based in Virginia, has become the hub of security coordination for the expanded 48-team tournament, bringing together representatives from all 16 host cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico, along with liaison officers from participating countries.

"The FBI is all in on ensuring the World Cup is safe, secure, and enjoyable for the millions of fans," Doug Olson, the FBI's senior coordinating official for the tournament, said during a briefing for foreign journalists.

Olson described the IPCC as "a centralised, multinational coordination hub established by the host nation to facilitate real-time international police collaboration during major international sporting events." Operating around the clock, the centre enables intelligence sharing between US agencies, foreign law enforcement, embassies and state fusion centres to identify and respond to emerging threats.

He said authorities review hundreds of intelligence leads each day.

"I think the other day they went over 300 tips," Olson said, adding that the information ranges from reports involving fireworks at matches to human trafficking and terrorism. While declining to discuss specific investigations, he said intelligence is immediately shared with agencies capable of acting on it.

The officials also highlighted the growing challenge posed by unauthorised drones near stadiums and fan zones.

Andrew Giuliani, Executive Director of the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup, said authorities have recorded "1,139 drone detections" and carried out "over 300 mitigations" during the tournament so far. Olson added that investigators had "actually seized over 500 of those drones" as part of FBI investigations.

Olson said the administration had significantly expanded counter-drone capabilities ahead of the tournament, including specialised FBI training for state and local law enforcement and deployment of equipment to prevent illegal drone activity around venues.

The officials said security cooperation among the three host nations has been seamless.

Olson described coordination with Canadian authorities as "outstanding" and said relations with Mexican law enforcement had also been "a great relationship". He added that every participating team, including Iran, has received the same level of security protection, with the IPCC helping to share threat information directly with relevant agencies.

Giuliani also rejected suggestions that tougher US immigration policies had discouraged attendance at the tournament.

"We've seen, I think, capacity at stadiums over 99 per cent," he said, adding that the World Cup had already surpassed previous attendance records. "This has been an unbelievable, unbelievable success."

He said the White House Task Force had worked closely with the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies to speed up visa processing and facilitate legal travel for supporters while maintaining security screening.

The International Police Cooperation Centre was established under the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup to strengthen international law enforcement coordination. Similar centres have been used at previous major sporting events, but US officials say the scale of cooperation during the 2026 tournament is unprecedented because of its continental footprint and the number of participating nations.

--IANS

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