Being a private detective means above all mastering in many intelligence techniques. Tailing and surveillance are methods commonly used by investigators to gather relevant and important information on an investigation. The detective will have to handle situations in isolated places with only few residents, but also in places that attract thousands of people a day.
The airports located in the Paris region are a crossroad for people coming from all over the world and this specificity require a full knowledge of the airports environment and a perfect organization that our agents do possess.
The three main airports in Ile-de-France where our agency operates are
Roissy Charles De Gaulle airport is the biggest airport in France in terms of traffic.
Many destinations are served and people are coming from all over the world.
As a result Charles de Gaulle is the airport where our detectives will intervene most of the time.
It is clearly the Paris airport where our detectives most regularly investigate to start a surveillance or witness a departure.
Orly airport
Most domestic flight will depart from Orly as well as international flight , making this airport the second busiest in France. Paris Orly airport, ( airport code ORY), has a traffic of approximately 30 million passengers per year.
Our private detective agency will intervene a regular basis for arrivals or departures from Orly. All renowned airlines like Air France, Vueling, Ryanair, EasyJet, Transavia or Volotea are flying from this airport.
Le Bourget airport is located in the northeast of Paris, it is historically the first Parisian airport and since 1981, it is dedicated to private jets. Le Bourget airport is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
It accommodates all types of aircraft from private jets to commercial aircraft and even helicopters. It is not the best known airport but it is a starting point for missions that are involving private and professional flight
The main challenges for private investigators at parisian airports
Issue number 1:
Parking is an issue specially short term because it is closely monitored and you cannot park in front of a terminal for a long period of time . You can only drop passengers ,and waiting for an individual to come out is very challenging because you are only allowed to park for a few minutes.
Orly airport, for example, has been using video-monitoring since 2012 to limit unlimited parking, making it more difficult for emergency or security services to circulate. Private detectives used to park a little hastily. This is no longer possible today.
Parking enforcement officers are using video-verbalization and belong to the Border Police Department (DPAF) who operate directly from the video control center located at the police station.
Inside the airport terminal , when the target has checked in the luggage and crossed the security gates, we do not have the means (except if the agent has a plane ticket) to go further. Therefore once the person under surveillance will cross the security gates our detectives cannot report any new events such as meeting with another person.
Issue number 2: High density and extended areas.
Parking is very challenging in a drop-off situation , because the very high cost of parking, link to the risk of having the car impounded , and parking in front of the terminals being monitored by video surveillance Sometimes we will receive parking violation tickets several days after the end of a mission and it is complicated to ask our client to pay for our fines.
Issue number 3: The people under surveillance can use several means of transport to go to the airport.
The person under surveillance can use several means of transport that need to be monitored.
Most of the time, they use public transportation , but they can also take the train, stay at the airport to wait for another plane, ride on a taxi ( car or motorcycle) or order an Uber, the bus is also an option, and finally a friend or relative may drop them off or pick them up at the airport.
On a very rare circumstances they may also use their personal car and will take the option of park and fly (arrival or departure).
Our main missions require being very well organized at the airports
Reason number 1: Family matters
- Compiling evidences and proof to file for divorce by proving that an individual was traveling with a mistress or lover, departing or arriving at the airport.
- Validate the real standard of living (example of a father who does not pay neither alimony or child support but who goes on a tourist trip to Tahiti or the Bahamas for two weeks!).
- Avoid child abduction (parent who do not have the authorization to fly abroad with a child).
Reason number 2: Job or business issues
- Prove an abusive sick leave (an employee who goes on vacation during his sick leave, etc.).
- Prove a standard of living (a partner who claims that he is insolvent …).
- Business meetings (a collaborator, a partner or an employee who meets competitors to provide crucial information, etc.).
- Prove collusion: The key to be successful in this type of mission is to be always prepared , even in an emergency situation , collecting as many relevant information and details as soon as the contract has been signed.
The human and logistical ressources used during an airport mission
It all depends on the emergency of the intervention and the budget because the means used will be in relation to the situation but also to the price the client is willing to pay.
The number of agents will depend on the different scenarios:
But we recommend (depending on the budget)
- 1 agent is enough if the client provides all the information from the beginning on an arrival.
- 2 agents on a departure or arrival if we know the mean of transportation that the person of interest will use.
- 3 agents if we do not have any information on the mean of transportation that the person of interest will or usually use to go to the airport or leave the airport.
- 4 agents if the target has never under surveillance , if the arrival time is approximate and if no information on the means of transportation is known…
The means of transportations will always be adapted:
- The agents will always carry a valid public transportation pass , cash and a credit card.
- A car parked at the drop-off point.
- An agent with a motorcycle will be positioned at the taxi area exit level and will be in contact with the other agents on the field.
Adapted equipment for shooting and recording:
- Discreet cameras or hidden cameras (glasses, cap, shirt button, etc.) for direct or close contact.
- Camcorder or smartphone with powerful zoom.
- We are using less and less cameras because the performance related to pictures quality is sufficient with other means of image capture. Above all a camera is not ideal when it comes of being discreet on a surveillance mission.
It should be noted that the case law regarding shooting in airports is specific. Just like in the street, an airport is a public place. Therefore, filming or photographing in an airport is not subject to any authorization. The prohibition in law being the exception, everything that is not prohibited is authorized. But we must not photograph the airport runways ( the tarmac) for example. The images are only taken to prove a situation not for a photos report. This is why the pictures of the people around the subject of interest have to be fuzzy.
Our interventions in airports are conducted on a regular basis and only last for a short period of time . Detectives only spend a few minutes or even a few hours in those areas during their missions.
Generally, this is an important stage because it will allow you to finish a mission or start a new one. It is for this reason that it is essential to be in control during all the surveillance mission.
For more details and a request for a free quote, do not hesitate to consult our web site page on prices or contact us directly by email. Anthony Caudal, the director will answer all your questions and advice you on the best intervention strategy.
