Military police in Brazil detained three men for flying a drone over Brazil's CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying training session in CT do Caju in Curitiba, home to Brazil league first-division team, Atlético Paranaense. The individuals, hailing from Ecuador, Venezuela, and Brazil, were apprehended and questioned by authorities.
Authorities in Curitiba have not ruled out the possibility of espionage, although no arrests have been made at this time. Lt. Everton Taborda of the Curitiba Military Police mentioned that the initial accusation against the suspects is related to endangerment or exposing others to health risks. However, further investigation will determine if the drone was being used for illegal image capture for potential sale or other purposes.
The upcoming match between Brazil and Ecuador is scheduled to take place in Curitiba on Friday. The police have not yet been able to access the drone footage or the contents of the seized computer. Taborda stated that no criminal charges will be pressed against the drone owner unless Athletico-PR decides to file a formal complaint.
