Man suspected to have flown drone above Lamu Police Post arrested

Man suspected to have flown drone above Lamu Police Post arrested

A man has been arrested on suspicion that he was operating a drone above the Lamu Police Post.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), officers on duty at the police post noticed an object hovering high above the compound.

“Upon swift action by our officers, it was immediately established that the object was an unmanned aircraft,” the DCI said on Saturday.

Operation to nab the drone operator is said to have commenced immediately, leading to the arrest of one suspect.

According to detectives, the man claimed to have traveled from Mombasa ostensibly to visit his relatives in Lamu.

“The suspect is being interrogated to ascertain the veracity of his claims and establish his motive,” the report adds.

The DCI cautioned the public that a police station is a gazetted jurisdiction  and as such, any police premises remain a high security establishment.

Accordingly, any acts that may seem to compromise the security of such an establishment shall be met with the full force of the law, the directorate said.

According to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, use of unmarked aircraft systems known as ‘drones’ is prohibited.

The aviation regulator cites Legal Notice 76 signed in March 26 last year on the prohibition of drones.

”…includes operation of such drones by the public for video coverage, film making, surveillance, and any other interference with Kenyan airspace,” the notice signed by KCAA Director General Captain Gilbert Kibe reads.

A person found guilty of going against this law faces jail term of not more than 12 months or a fine not exceeding Ksh. 100,000 or both.

Unmanned State aircrafts, drones owned and operated by the government are however not affected by these regulations.

The law is part of the Civil Aviation Act of 2013 which states that unmanned aircraft are not allowed to operate either on land or Kenya’s territorial waters.

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drone lamu police post

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