Last week, a Facebook user by the name of Amelia Yeo shared a post about her experience spotting a drone flying past her bathroom window. The incident reportedly occurred last Thursday around 5pm while she was in the shower in her home on the 17th story. According to Yeo, her window was cracked open since she lived on a high floor with no other buildings next door, and she assumed there would be “no privacy issues.”
Initially, she thought the object was a plane, due to her proximity to the airport. But when it flew past at slow speeds again, about 50m to 100m from her window, she realized the drone seemed to be positioned at an angle where it could peek into the bathroom. Yeo said it also flew towards Elias Green and Ris Grandeur condominiums.
After her friends told her to lodge a police report, she did so and the Pasir Ris Neighbourhood Police Post immediately sent officers to her home, Yeo said. She elaborated that they searched the vicinity but couldn’t find the drone operator, and the investigating officer later told her the drone’s action was illegal on two counts as it could constitute outrage of modesty and a breach of no-fly zone laws, as Pasir Ris is a no-fly zone.
Yeo ended her post by urging residents, even those staying on high floors, to be mindful of what goes on outside their windows.
Yeo later updated that the case report was changed from an outrage of modesty offence to harassment, and said she had received feedback that a drone could not look into an enclosed room from the outside without a spotlight. She reiterated that she had lodged a police report because she was asked to do so, even though she was unsure whether an offence had been committed.
According to The Straits Times, the drone was seen within 5km of an airport or airbase, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore mandates that a Class 2 Activity Permit is needed for such unmanned aircraft activities done for recreational or research purposes within this zone. Police are investigating.
