BERLIN (AP) – A man has been arrested in Berlin on charges of making radio contact with air traffic, including police helicopters, and giving false flight orders while posing as an aviation official, German police said Friday.
The 32-year-old, whose identity was not disclosed in accordance with German privacy laws, was arrested Thursday night in the capital’s eastern Köpenick neighborhood, police said.
Police were able to break into his apartment after he contacted a police helicopter that had been sent to the neighborhood in hopes of flushing him out.
During a search of his home, police found two radios transmitting the frequencies needed to make contact with aircraft.
“For anyone who has asked about our police helicopter operations in Köpenick, an unusual arrest,” the Berlin police tweeted with a link to more details.
The man is said to have been in contact with passenger and transport aircraft pilots, as well as state and federal police helicopters, for the past six months, giving “potentially dangerous” instructions and becoming increasingly professional with his communications.
There are no known accidents or other incidents caused by his actions, police said.