Federal Police Report 1,500 Airport Arrests Using Passenger Data

Data-sharing efforts led to crime prevention, arrests, and enhanced airport security, raising privacy concerns.

Over the past year, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) transmitted approximately 91,200 Passenger Name Record (PNR) datasets to the Federal Police.
These efforts resulted in around 1,500 airport arrests, including high-profile cases such as an Indian citizen wanted for $19 million in check fraud and a Spanish woman linked to a joint murder case.
Approximately 800 transport bans were issued, preventing document fraud and human smuggling before flights.
Airlines are mandated to provide PNR data for international flights, which is analyzed to detect and prevent serious crimes and terrorism.
While these measures have significantly improved airport security, they have also sparked debates over the balance between privacy and public safety.