China’s crackdown on illegal drone operations continues.
According to the South China Morning Post of earlier today Chinese police have announced the arrests of 16 people suspected of hacking drone systems and vowed a nationwide crackdown on illegal drone use. China’s Ministry of Public Security released details on 10 cases on Monday to warn the public about illegal drone use. The suspects were arrested between January and March. It came as part of a nationwide “Clean Skies” campaign launched by the ministry in December to combat the illegal use of drones. “
According to the government’s Xinhua New Agency: “In some cases, individuals used technical means to help others illicitly bypass drone restrictions, such as altitude limits and no-fly zones, or tampered with factory-set payload parameters, assisting unauthorized drone flights for illegal profit, according to the ministry. A ministry official also warned that privately providing services to remove no-fly zone and altitude restrictions for drone owners may constitute a criminal offense, adding that police will continue to crack down on such acts in accordance with the law.
“Experts said drones with altitude restrictions removed could intrude into civil aviation routes and potentially cause collisions with serious consequences, while those with disabled geographic restrictions could enter prohibited areas, such as military control zones, risking the leakage of state secrets.”
In October the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, revised the Public Security Administration Punishments Law, said the South China Morning Post. “It listed the illegal use of drones as a danger to public safety, with serious cases subject to detention or even criminal prosecution,” said the paper. “Under Chinese regulations, small civilian drones must stay within government-designated areas and fly no higher than 120 metres (394 feet) above ground.”
For more information
China arrests 16 in drone hacking cases, vowing ‘clean skies’ crackdown | South China Morning Post
https://english.news.cn/20260518/fb8545cc011c42cb967984424d68ce51/c.html
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