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SINGAPORE: Over three days in October last year, a man allegedly flew a drone over protected areas and took illegal photos of the Defense Ministry’s Gombak base and Gali Batu depot.
Russell Wong Shin Pin, 20, received eight charges in court on Thursday (October 15) under the Air Navigation Act and the Infrastructure Protection Act.
He is charged with flying the drone without a relevant permit in a park off Cashew Road and Upper Bukit Timah Road on October 8 last year.
On the same day, he allegedly flew the drone up to 225m over the Gombak base, which is a protected area, and took a photo of the base with the drone.
The charge sheets indicate that Wong went to a parking lot near the Stagmont Ring the next day and flew the drone up to 543 m above mean sea level and within 5 km of the Tengah Air Base Aerodrome. He did not have a permit at the time, court documents said.
That day, he allegedly flew the drone over the Gombak base and used the drone to take a photo of Gali Batu Depot, which is also a protected location.
Wong is accused of similar acts on a third occasion on October 19, 2019, when he went to Dairy Farm Lane and flew a drone up to 574 m above mean sea level and within 5 km of the airfield of the Tengah Air Base. . He did not have the proper permit at the time, the charge sheets said.
Wong will return to court on October 29.
Under the Air Navigation Act, anyone convicted of operating a drone over any part of a protected area can be imprisoned for up to one year, fined up to S $ 20,000, or both. If convicted under the same law of taking a photo of a protected area with a drone, you could be jailed for up to one year, fined up to Singapore $ 20,000, or both.
For operating a drone without a permit, you could be fined up to $ 20,000 if it is your first such conviction.
He could be jailed for up to two years, fined up to Singapore $ 20,000, or both if convicted of taking prohibited photos of a protected area using a drone under the Infrastructure Protection Act.
The police said in a press release that they do not approve the flight of drones in a “unsafe and irresponsible” manner, as this poses risks to aviation and public safety.
They advised drone users to check the OneMap.sg website or mobile app to look for areas where drone flying is not allowed without a permit.
Any drone weighing more than 250g must be registered before it can be used in Singapore.
From February 1 next year, some drone users must obtain a certificate or license before operating their drones in Singapore.
