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SINGAPORE – A young man who allegedly flew a drone over military bases was brought to court on Thursday (October 15).
Russell Wong Shin Pin, 20, faces eight charges, including four under the Air Navigation Act. Three of the charges are under the Air Navigation Order, which involve flying a drone without a proper permit.
The eighth charge under the Infrastructure Protection Law involves flying a drone over Gali Batu Depot, which is a protected location.
Wong allegedly operated the drone for recreation in a park near Upper Bukit Timah Road and Cashew Road from 6.11 p.m. to 6.43 p.m. on October 8 last year, even though he did not have a Class 2 activity permit to do so.
During that period, he is said to have flown the drone (UA) over the Gombak base of the Ministry of Defense (Mindef) and used it to take a photo of the protected area.
Wong reportedly went to a parking lot near the Stagmont Ring on Woodlands Road the next day and flew the drone within 5km of the Tengah Air Base Aerodrome from 6.49pm to 6.56pm.
It is said that he operated the device on the Gombak base and Stagmont camp during that time.
He is also accused of taking a photo of another protected location, the Gali Batu Depot, that night using his drone.
It did so again 10 days later, on October 19, allegedly operating the device along Dairy Farm Lane and flying 5 km from the Tengah Air Base Aerodrome.
A witness saw the AU along Dairy Farm Lane near Bukit Panjang that day and alerted the police.
In a statement Thursday, the police said: “The police will not tolerate flying an AU in an unsafe and irresponsible manner, as it represents a risk to aviation and public safety.
“UA users should check the OneMap.sg website or use the OneMap app to check areas where a UA is not allowed to fly unless a permit has been obtained.
“Members of the public who witness any unauthorized UA activity are advised to report their observations to the police.”
Starting February 1 next year, certain UA users will need to obtain a Basic Unmanned Aircraft Training Certificate or an Unmanned Aircraft Pilot’s License to operate their devices in Singapore.
Wong’s bond was set at $ 5,000 on Thursday and his case was postponed until October 29.
If convicted of flying the drone over the Gombak base, he can be jailed for up to one year and fined up to $ 20,000 for each count.
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