Russian tourism blogger arrested in Uzbekistan due to having a drone, the Russian Embassy in Uzbekistan reported.
According to the embassy, on February 2, 2022, a Russian citizen Maxim Valentinovich, born in 1988, was detained while flying from Bukhara airport to Novosibirsk because he was carrying a drone with him.
“I arrived in Uzbekistan to travel around the country and see local sightseeing. I went through customs and all the equipment was in my luggage. I was asked what was in my bag. I said I had photo and video devices. They allowed it, that’s all,” the travel blogger said.
He said that after a 7-day trip around the country, he wanted to fly to Novosibirsk, but could not return home.
“On the departure day, I got registered, and then I registered my luggage. After going through customs, I went to passport control, where they put a stamp. Then the staff came and asked me to come back. They told me to open the luggage, I opened it. When they saw the drone, they started running fast and took me to the chief’s office,” the blogger said.
“According to the legislation in Uzbekistan, quadcopters weighing more than 250 grams must be registered. However, the device weighs only 249 grams (this is also confirmed by the manufacturer’s documentation on the characteristics of the drone), and therefore it should not have been complied with this rule,” the blogger said.
It should be noted that according to the current legislation of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the illegal import, sale, purchase, storage or use of unmanned aerial vehicles is punishable by up to 3 years in prison.
Unless the inspection of the accuracy and weight characteristics of the drone is completed, Maxim Valentinovich will be under house arrest.
