Australian fan detained for launching quadcopter on Red Square

Moscow police on Wednesday detained an Australian football fan for trying to launch a quadcopter on Red Square, according to a source.

"The policemen detained an Australian citizen who was launching a quadcopter on Red Square," the source was quoted as saying by Russia's Tass news agency.

"The police issued an administrative offence warning to him."

He said the Australian man had come to Russia to attend the games of the ongoing FIFA World Cup.

The police booked him for an administrative offence under Article 11.4 of the Code for Administrative Offences (Encroachment on the rules for operations in airspace) and set him free but the quadcopter was confiscated.

The Australian faces an administrative fine of 5,000 rubles ($80.6).

Russian Transport ministry banned the flights of unmanned aircraft over Moscow in March 2016. Permits for flights over the city are issued in exceptional cases only.

The authorities have installed special signs on Red Square showing quadcopter flights there are banned.

--IANS

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