Danish police announced the arrest of two men who attempted to procure unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on behalf of the Islamic State in Syria.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, the Danish state police said they had worked closely with the Danish security and intelligence service (PET) to arrest the two men as part of a "long-term investigation".
According to the press, the two men are members of Danish Islamic groups and are also believed to be part of a wider network of Islamic activists in the Scandinavian country that support the Islamic State, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
A police spokeswoman said today that the case concerns "the acquisition and supply" of unmanned aerial vehicle components, "including drones, from Denmark to the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq." The components were purchased for the purpose of being used in reconnaissance and combat operations by the militant group.
It is not the first time that the Danish police force arrest individuals for this type of crime, a year ago, a man of 28 years was accused of sending equipment for dismantled drones and infrared cameras to an address in Turkey. The material sent was collected by a Turkish couple who were members of the Islamic state and arrested following an international police operation. The Islamic state has been using drones since October 2016, when it used a UAV full of bombs to kill two Kurdish soldiers. Furthermore, in January of last year, the militant group broadcast propaganda footage showing several cases of bombs on enemy and civilian troops using specially modified drones.
The two arrested this week should appear in court on Thursday. State prosecutors are expected to request a hearing behind closed doors, as the investigation into the ISIS support network is still ongoing in Denmark.