SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man who was arrested in Oslo for flying a drone in a restricted area that included the Prime Minister’s Office has been fined.
The man and his female companion, both in their mid-50s, were arrested in the Norwegian capital on Sept 22 and released the next day after police investigations, said a Norwegian police prosecutor responding to media queries.
The man was fined 8,000 Norwegian kroner (US$802) for violating the Aviation Act by flying a drone over a restricted area over central Oslo without special dispensation, said Christina K. Mack, a prosecuting attorney with the Oslo Police District, on Sept 26.
His drone has also been confiscated.
The prosecutor said that the Singaporean pair cooperated well with the police and that the man will not face trial once the fine is paid.
She added that tourists should do thorough research before flying a drone in a European capital.
Sightings of the drone over a no-fly zone near the Akershus Fortress, an area that houses the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Defence, among other buildings, had been reported by the Norwegian Armed Forces at 7.18pm on Sept 22, according to local newspaper Aftenposten.
The duo were reportedly tourists in Norway, and had planned to spend around two weeks in the country, Norwegian media cited an Oslo police attorney saying.
Local media had earlier reported that the man faced deportation, having admitted wrongdoing for flying the drone, meaning the case against his female companion was dropped.
The local authorities have been on alert after a number of drone sightings near the Gardermoen airport in Oslo, as well as at other Nordic airports, including Copenhagen in Denmark. The airports were closed for hours because of the drone sightings.
The Norwegian and Danish authorities have said there is no reason to suspect a connection between the multiple drone sightings for now.
Just a month ago, a Chinese man was similarly detained by the local authorities in Oslo for flying a drone over the restricted Akershus Fortress area, Norwegian newspaper Adresseavisen reported. He was later deported from Norway.
While the fortress is home to government offices, making it a no-fly zone, it is also a popular tourist site and includes a 13th century castle and two museums among its attractions.
The Straits Times has contacted Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for more information. - The Straits Times/ANN
