He is Zhong Zhensheng, a 68-year-old man who wants to enjoy his first holiday in Singapore and capture the moments with a drone. Zhong, who is a retiree, and his wife arrived in Singapore on June 25, 2024, around 1 PM. On that same day, he headed straight to Marina Barrage and flew the DJI Mavic Air 2 drone to take aerial photos of Marina Bay.

"At around 5:30 PM on the same day, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) detected Zhong's drone and called the police. Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Cheah Wenjie told the court that Zhong had registered his unmanned aircraft in China, and was aware that the operation of unmanned aircraft was subject to regulations, including in Singapore."

Prosecutors stated that Zhong should have found out the rules first before flying his drone. \

The prosecution then demanded that he pay a fine of at least 15,000--18,000 Singapore dollars. Until July 25, 2024, one month after the incident, the Chinese tourist was fined after pleading guilty to three violations under the Air Navigation Act. Two other charges under the same law were considered for his sentencing.

"Meanwhile, Zhong's lawyer, Daniel Loh from BR Law Corporation, requested a reduction of the 9,000 Singapore dollar fine. He claimed that his client did not see any signs in the Marina Barrage area prohibiting the operation of drones, leading him to believe it was safe to operate a drone there."

The drone also has a built-in feature that is expected to detect whether an area is safe for flying, but it has not been updated with official data. Loh also said that his client only intended to stay in Singapore for two days, but was 'stranded' in Singapore due to legal issues with the court. "Given the accumulation of circumstances, this incident can truly be experienced unknowingly by anyone who is unfortunate," said the lawyer.