A 33-year-old man is set to be charged on Tuesday (Nov 7) for allegedly using a drone to film a protected place. The police received a tip-off on June 9, reporting the operation of a drone near Brani Terminal, a commercial port that falls under the protected place category as per Singapore law.
Protected places in Singapore are strictly restricted areas accessible only to authorized individuals.
Upon investigation, the authorities recovered a drone containing multiple video recordings of Brani Terminal. Through digital forensics, the drone operator was subsequently identified, ST reported.
The man will face charges on Tuesday for the criminal offense of prohibited photography of a protected place using an “unmanned aircraft” or drone.
If convicted, he could face a fine of up to $20,000, imprisonment for a maximum of two years, or both.
Last year a NUS student was fined $5,000 for breaching drone regulations while attempting to capture pictures of his girlfriend and her friend at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
This incident adds to the growing trend of drone-related offenses in recent years. In 2020, Changi Airport Group took action against 20 drone operators who were unlawfully flying their drones within a 5km radius of the airport, prompting the implementation of stricter countermeasures, as per the report.
Similarly, in 2022, a construction company was fined $22,000 for flying a drone in public areas without obtaining the necessary permit.
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