Speed cameras are being stolen in Sweden on the belief that they can be connected to and used in homemade Russian drones.
A report by Finnish news site YLE said on Friday, October 21 that at least 100 cameras had been stolen so far with more thefts expected.
Cameras have, however, not been stolen in Finland with the units said to be more securely connected to the poles on which they appear. They are also apparently alarmed, making the more difficult to steal.
Professor Hans Liwång of the Norwegian National Defence College believes that the Swedish units can not only be used in homemade drones but also by international criminal gangs.
Heikki Ihalainen, a national police inspector is perplexed as to why so many have been stolen in Sweden but nowhere else. Ihalainen says that a camera can be up for ten years or more before someone tries to steal it, so why is this happening in Sweden?
Liwång says there could be three reasons for the loss of cameras in Sweden but not Finland.
Firstly the cameras are the responsibility of the police in Finland, whereas the transport agency handles these in Sweden.
Secondly, Sweden has many more cameras than Finland which makes them more of a target as it does easier to steal.
Finally, although the cameras used are very similar, those in Finland are connected to the police command centre. If anyone tries to tamper with the unit the police are alerted immediately. In Finland, the speed camera in alarm devices. The alarm will go straight to the police command centre, so the police patrol to be on the scene quickly.
Alarms have been in use since 1996.
The idea that speed cameras stolen in Sweden can be used in Russian drones is not dissimilar to the many rumours that regularly go around other countries that suggest items can be used for purposes other than intended. A good example of that was the theft of Ford car radios in Wales on the belief they could be used to get free Sky television.
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