Drones required to be registered in Cambodia after attack plot foiled
Phnom Penh: Cambodia has required users to declare their Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or drones at local police stations after a drone attack plot on the residence of Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen has been foiled.
An Inter-Ministerial Prakas (edict), signed by the ministers of interior, agriculture, and civil aviation on Friday and publicized on Saturday, said the measure aims to manage the use of drones to ensure security, public order, and social safety in the Southeast Asian country.
The drones that can carry a weight of two kilogrammes or more, must be registered with local police stations, the edict said, adding that the users are required to give details of drone information such as manufacturer, model, serial number, maximum flight speed and load weight.
Drone users must be 18 years old or older, the edict said, adding that drones are allowed to be flown between 6 am and 6 pm only, and a permit is required for a night flight.
Flying a group of five drones or more is prohibited without permission, the edict said, adding that drones are restricted in some important areas.
Drones are not allowed to fly within a radius of three kilometers of the civil and military airports, the edict said, Xinhua news agency reported.
“Any individual who manages, occupies and uses drones without complying with the provisions of this Inter-Ministerial Prakas shall be subject to penalties in accordance with applicable laws and regulations,” the edict said.
The edict came after Hun Sen, 72, said on Tuesday that security personnel have recently thwarted a plot to launch a drone attack on his residence in southern Kandal province’s Ta Khmau City.
Hun Sen released a sound clip showing a secret conversation among a group of alleged extremists, who plotted to pour gasoline from an agricultural drone onto his house and set it alight.