A traveler from Russia’s Krasnoyarsk region, Polina Yermakova, was detained in Uzbekistan for transporting a drone, according to Fergana.ru.
Polina reportedly entered Uzbekistan from Kyrgyzstan on May 15 and two days later on May 17, she was detained at the railway station in Tashkent when she was going to travel by train to Bukhara. She was stopped at the railway station for a quadcopter in her backpack.
Polina was taken to the police station. It turned out that according to the laws of Uzbekistan, she faces up to 3 years in prison or a fine.
The Russian Embassy in Tashkent says that they are aware of this situation and the Embassy is in touch with her. “Moreover, we sent a note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan with a request to quickly investigate this matter and explain the inconsistency of the actions of the border guards. Nobody disputes that she violated the law,“ said the Embassy representative.
Meanwhile, the law prohibiting the import of drones into Uzbekistan has been in force since 2014. You cannot import drones that weigh more than 250 grams and which can be equipped with video and photo equipment. To take photos in Uzbekistan using an aircraft, you need to obtain permission from the authorities in advance.
