«الدرون».. الطائر المشبوه !

The uses of "drones" vary in many aspects of life; some rely on them for photography and surveillance, while others use them for rescue and relief, delivering medications, monitoring security situations, and searching for missing persons. Drones are also used in military operations.

Drones perform many tasks, but what security agencies recently revealed confirms that these modern technologies are not far from being exploited to carry out criminal and irregular activities, after coastal patrols of the border guards in the Haql sector of the Tabuk region thwarted the smuggling of 41,000 pills of the narcotic substance amphetamine using a drone.

Hashish on the Back of the "Phantom"

In other incidents, drones have been used to commit criminal acts, the most famous of which was an attempt to smuggle drugs into Briman prison, where the perpetrators were caught both inside and outside the prison. At that time, a Chinese-made "Phantom" drone, with 4 propellers, measuring 45 centimeters in length and 45 centimeters in width, was spotted, controlled remotely, and carrying a bag containing about 2,000 psychoactive pills, in addition to a quantity of hashish.

According to investigations, a defendant in the case admitted that he sold 13 Chinese-made "Phantom" drones to the gang leader over 8 months, and acknowledged that he was delivering the drones to his brother, who was also implicated, with the payment transferred to his bank account in a Gulf capital.

In another incident, military police at the prison in Unaizah province in the Qassim region fired at a drone that was flying over the prison and managed to bring it down, revealing that it was carrying narcotics, as well as communication devices and mobile phone chips.

Safe and Professional Use

Government and private agencies successfully utilized drones intelligently during the Hajj of 1446, with the most notable uses of drones in the pilgrimage being in security and crowd management by monitoring and surveying crowds in the holy sites and Mecca to ensure smooth flow, controlling violators of Hajj regulations, and tracking irregular movements, in addition to real-time scene analysis and sending immediate alerts to the command and control center.

Drones were also used in emergency medical services by transporting urgent medical supplies and medications to health facilities in Arafat and Mina, reducing delivery time from one hour to five minutes.

The Falcon for Firefighting and Rescue

In civil defense, the Falcon drone was used for firefighting and rescue missions, while drones equipped with artificial intelligence were deployed to handle fires in high and crowded areas, acting as first responders with a carrying capacity of up to one kilogram and live broadcasting from the site.

Other uses of drones include monitoring roads and infrastructure by inspecting roads, bridges, and traffic diversions using live and direct imaging to ensure the safety of pilgrims.

No Importation Without Approval

The relevant authorities in Saudi Arabia have dealt with the uses of drones professionally, regulating and prohibiting their use or importation except under specific controls and conditions, due to the potential violation of privacy and the possibility of using them to photograph sensitive sites and residential homes. However, some websites promote their marketing through dubious means and at varying prices. Monitoring activities have revealed reliance on external sites to sell drones and attempts to introduce them through scattered postal shipments, to be assembled later inside or through deception via shipping companies.

The Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority confirmed that drones equipped with cameras and weighing more than 250 grams require clearance from the Civil Aviation Authority for importation, while remote-controlled drones weighing less than 250 grams can be cleared directly from customs, provided they are not equipped with cameras.

Customs emphasized that these drones and their spare parts are among the goods prohibited from importation without prior approval from the relevant authorities.

Rules and License Obligations

The General Authority of Civil Aviation has taken on the licensing of drones in both commercial and recreational categories to regulate the operation and registration of unmanned aerial vehicles. It has set rules, conditions, and prohibitions, in addition to specifying technical aspects that must be adhered to, such as the weight of the drone and the necessity of flying with a permit, due to the risks it poses to the safety and security of aircraft primarily, as well as to people and public and private property. New provisions related to importation, insurance, training, and national standard technical specifications have also been established.

Failure to comply with registration and operation instructions exposes the operator to legal accountability from the General Authority of Civil Aviation and penalties according to civil aviation regulations. Penalties for operating without a license or permit may include imprisonment for up to one year and a fine not exceeding 100,000 riyals, or one of these penalties. The penalty applies to anyone who operates any drone or company or agency or engages in any aerial operations subject to the provisions of the system without obtaining the necessary license or permit or continues to operate after the suspension of the license or permit or its withdrawal or cancellation.

No Flying Here

Flying drones over homes and residential neighborhoods or prohibited areas without prior official permission from the General Authority of Civil Aviation is prohibited, while random flying over private properties constitutes a clear violation of regulations and a threat to privacy and security, exposing violators to legal accountability. Security authorities deal firmly with any unauthorized drones.