Is this the future for peeping toms? A drone was spotted flying a wee bit too close for comfort outside the windows of two blocks in the Treelodge@Punggol residential estate on Sept 12.
Facebook user Alex Lee, who uploaded the footage on his page last Thursday, observed that the drone seemed to be lingering outside rooms and toilet areas to “peep”. The quadcopter itself appeared to be a DJI Phantom drone, one of the more easier unmanned aerial vehicles to pilot around and capable of shooting stable videos and stills of up to 4K resolution, depending on its model.
In other words, the device is more than capable of capturing clear shots of the residents within their own homes. Lee informed The Straits Times that his video was filmed from the 10th floor of the estate.
According to Lee, he and his family weren’t able to locate the individual piloting the drone. The culprit’s identity could be established soon enough as the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) informed ST that investigations into the matter have been launched.
According to the authority, no permits were issued to allow drones to fly in the area, which is located within 5km of Paya Lebar Air Base. Activity permits are indeed required for drone operators to fly their devices in the vicinity of any airport or military airbases.
CAAS also advised the public to contact the police promptly should they witness drones being suspected of committing an intrusion of privacy.
