Frenchman faces Myanmar court on drone flying charge

A Frenchman by the name of Arthur Desclaux has appeared in a Myanmar court on a drone flying charge after having been arrested two weeks ago. The French drone pilot has allegedly flown his unmanned aircraft too close to the country’s vast parliament complex.

French drone pilot faces Myanmar court on drone flying charge

As a result of his drone flying, the French drone pilot is now charged under the illegal Export-Import act and according to Herald Bulletin could face up to three years in jail if convicted. Arthur Desclaux was transported to the Myanmar court in the back of a police vehicle.

An official of the French consulate informed reporters outside the court on Friday that the 27-year-old Desciaux was well treated, but was still kept in custody. Frederic Inza said:

“We regret he is still in prison. We were hoping for a rapid solution.”

The next hearing has been set by the court in Myanmar’s capital Naypyitaw on February 27th, when witness testimony is expected to begin. We will keep you up to date on the outcome of this case.

Almost exactly one year ago, we covered this story of another French drone pilot, Pierre Michel Breckler, who was arrested when he flew his Mavic Pro over the residence of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Police in Phnom Penh’s Daun Penh district arrested the Frenchman when he was flying his unmanned aerial vehicle in Chamtomok commune near Koh Pich bridge. The district police chief Huon Chan Yaran confirmed that the drone pilot was arrested for using the aircraft to capture footage of prohibited areas without permission.

So in general, be mindful of the local rules and regulations for bringing drones into any country as well as flying them there. Especially in more exotic locations, you may be breaking rules that you weren’t even aware of.

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