This is normal, othervise you just sit somewhere, and wait for the loot?

Yes, that's true... if AI ships DID drop loot, you would never have to do anything. Heck, you could go out to Omicron Gamma or one of those systems and just sit there, watch some Corsairs, Outcasts, GMG, and BHs fight each other, kill each other, and who gets all those Salamancas, Krakens, Wyrms, Reavers, Skyblasts...? ah, you would, and you wouldn't have to raise a finger to do it
Do you kow what I mean? it just wouldn't be realistic. But then again, ships dropping loot ONLY when you shoot them isn;t too realistic, either, huh?
Like I said, it's a balancing thing so no one gets insanely rich frmo just watching fights

Youyr right it only works with deep scanners

Yeah, and that is usually lucrative enough -- especially when you launch from Earth and there are fleets engaging each other. i think i counted 12 weapon platforms that criminals destroy, dropping Deep Scanners. On one run to hte EA system , I have gotten 16 deepScanners - that's 12k x 16 = 192k , all without even firing