We have been silent for some time because we were working to make 2021 even more exciting! Below an introduction to our first new commitment in 2021.

In the framework of the dronEUnit initiative – networking, innovation and excellence for law enforcement drone units -, comprising members of EU LEAs, academia and private sector actors from 8 EU member states – and the ISF-P funded projects OPFA WASTE – for fighting illicit waste trafficking through ad-hoc financial support to ongoing investigations in the field – and TECUM – tackling environmental crimes through standardised methodologies -, we are thrilled to announce the award of a new project combining elements of the three, RUNNER –  dRone Unit Network against Environmental cRime.

Funded by the EU through the OLAF programme, the RUNNER project will run for 9 months starting from April 2021 and foresee a 3-day operational workshop and the drafting of operational guidelines as core activities.

In a nutshell, RUNNER will focus on integrating the drone element within environmental crime cases, closing the distance between local police drone units and national authorities in charge of investigating, by stimulating networking and the exchange of information to achieve more effective evidence collection and enhanced protection of the financial interests of the EU.

For more info about RUNNER take a look at the factsheet enclosed below. Regular updates will be available starting from April through the project Twitter account.

RUNNER-Fact-Sheet_-1