Kathmandu, January 17

Police have arrested an Indian citizen on the charge of flying drone without obtaining permission from the concerned authorities.

Officials said Topten Lama, 20, of Sikkim, India, who had been residing in Budhanilkantha Municipality-3, was caught flying the drone yesterday. Police have confiscated the drone sets and a remote control from him from the roof of a house where 21 Indians, including him, were living. During interrogation, Lama said he had bought the drone from Durbar Marg-based Rising Mall on November 24 last year for ‘entertainment’.

The home ministry has enforced Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Flight Procedure, 2016 in view of apparent threats to security due to haphazard use of UAV. As per the procedure, one should obtain permission from the Ministry of Information and Communications for frequency and from the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation for personal drone flight.

A person applying for permission to use UAVs should submit his/her personal and drone details, area where it is to be flown, purpose of the flight and its duration. The government may not be obliged to grant permission for drone flight if it deems such act will have adverse impact on security.

“If anyone uses drones in contravention of the provisions referred to in this procedure, the government will initiate action against them under Civil Aviation Authority Act, 1996 and the Electronic Transactions Act, 2008,” it warned.

UAVs are often used for military and entertainment purposes in various countries, apart from carrying out studies on agriculture, environment and geography.