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Tokyo Police Unveil Net-Wielding Interceptor Drone

Using a net means no dropped drones.

Video Credit: The Asahi Shimbun

Earlier this year, a drone carrying a tiny amount of radioactive sand was flown onto the roof of the Japanese prime minister’s office. The act was a protest against the country’s nuclear energy policy rather than a serious threat, but Japanese police apparently saw it as something of a wake-up call. In order to combat such aerial threats in future, Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police Department has unveiled a net-wielding interceptor drone that will be used to hunt down and snare rogue quadcopters.

According to reports from The Asahi Shimbun and the Asian Review, a single drone will initially be deployed on a trial basis from mid-December. A more comprehensive operation will then be introduced in February next year, with drone squads providing protection for some of the city’s most important buildings, including the Imperial Palace, the National Diet (where Japan’s parliament meets), and the prime minister’s office.

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This article originally appeared on Recode.net.