42-year-old man to be charged for taking aerial photos of Woodlands Checkpoint, flying unmanned aircraft without permit

SINGAPORE — A 42-year-old Singaporean man will be charged on Wednesday (Dec 30) after he flew an unmanned aircraft over Woodlands Checkpoint thrice in March and April and at another location in February without a permit, the police said on Tuesday.

He had also taken aerial photographs of the checkpoint, which is a protected area, on all three occasions.

The police said they received a report on April 5 regarding the sighting of a unmanned aircraft in the vicinity of Woodlands Checkpoint. 

Through follow-up investigations, officers from Woodlands Police Division established the identity of the man who had operated it. 

Investigations revealed that the man had allegedly operated the drone at an altitude exceeding 61m above mean sea level without a permit and had taken aerial view photographs of the checkpoint on March 20, April 3 and April 5 this year. 

In addition, the man had allegedly operated a drone at an altitude exceeding 61m above mean sea level without a permit along Mount Pleasant Road on Feb 27.

For taking photographs showing the aerial view of Woodlands Checkpoint on three separate occasions, the man will be charged with three counts of prohibited photography of a protected area using an unmanned aircraft punishable under Section 7(2A)(a) of the Air Navigation Act. 

Anyone found guilty under this section is liable to a fine of up to S$50,000 or to a jail term of up to two years, or both. 

For operating his drone at an altitude above 61m on four separate occasions, the man will also be charged with four counts of failure to obtain a permit to operate an unmanned aircraft, punishable under Section 4(3A) of the Air Navigation Act.

This charge carries a fine of up to S$50,000 or jail of up to two years, or both.

The police said that drone users should refer to the OneMap.sg website or use the OneMap mobile application to check the areas where the flying of a drone is not allowed unless a permit has been obtained. Any unmanned aircraft with a total mass of above 250g must be registered before it can be operated in Singapore. 

From Feb 1, 2021, certain drone users will also need to obtain an unmanned aircraft basic training certificate or unmanned aircraft pilot licence before they operate their devices in Singapore.