Authorities in Shanghai's Minhang District have uncovered an illegal operation where an individual offered drone "unlocking" services under the guise of legitimate maintenance and repair work. Police traced and apprehended the suspect, identified as Xue, after discovering he was providing paid assistance to bypass drone flight restrictions.
During the investigation, law enforcement seized multiple computers and mobile devices used in the criminal activity. The suspect allegedly charged customers between 500 and 1,500 yuan per service, accumulating illegal profits exceeding 20,000 yuan. The court in Minhang District found Xue guilty of providing programs and tools for illegal intrusion into computer information systems, sentencing him to six months in prison with a one-year reprieve, along with a fine of 2,000 yuan and confiscation of criminal gains.
Legal experts note that the unauthorized modification of drone flight control systems constitutes a violation of Articles 285 and 286 of the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China. Such actions may potentially constitute crimes including illegal control of computer information systems, providing intrusion or illegal control programs, and damaging computer information systems, all of which carry significant legal consequences under Chinese law.