Military enthusiast sentenced for illegally using drone to photograph military facilities

BEIJING -- A case disclosed by China's Ministry of State Security has confirmed that a military fan surnamed Luo has been sentenced to one year in prison for photographing a new type of warship via a high-definition drone.

Luo was found photographing the Chinese warship in November 2021 for the purpose of sharing the images with military enthusiasts on an online forum, the ministry said.

The pictures and videos captured by Luo were later identified by relevant departments to involve military secrets, and Luo was convicted of illegally acquiring state secrets.

China bans the activities of using drones to illegally photograph confidential locations such as military facilities and plants, and acquiring, disclosing or sending such footage overseas, according to the country's regulations on the operation of unmanned aircraft.