DRONE TAKEN away in Lalibela, Ethiopia 04/2018
Apr 17, 2018, 10:12 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Chicago USA
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Posts: 1,762
DRONE TAKEN away in Lalibela, Ethiopia 04/2018
JUST A WARNING - THIS CAN HAPPEN TO YOU
Hello Everyone, I am posting this so that it is searchable.
I went on a fifteen city/eight country tour looking for sites to shoot a film. We started in Darwin, Australia and worked our way to Northern Ethiopia. We brought with us a Mavic Pro Platinum drone, which is on the higher end of consumer drones - I state "consumer" just to be sure it is understood. We looked like tourists and not a typical film crew one would expect to see with crates of equipment.
We went through Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Sri Lanka, India, Singapore, Thailand with no issues with the drone, NONE, either as checked baggage or as a carry-on. We arrived into Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (ADD), without incident and departed the following day, again, no issues. The drone was brought as a carry-on and we went through security twice, once when we entered ADD domestic and then again at the gate.
The group of us flew to Lalibela (LLI), in Northern Ethiopia, we did what we went for and the following day we showed up at LLI where everything was scanned right at the entrance of the airport. The scanner asked if we had a drone, to which we said "yes". "You can't travel with drone," he said, to which I said, "that's nonsense, online it states it's okay to have a drone." He then ASKED FOR THE MEMORY CARD. This surprised me the most, because he wanted to confiscate it. One of our crew managed to pull it out of the drone and stick it in his pants. We told him we didn't use the drone in Ethiopia and there was no memory card.
I was taken to the customs office, the sole office, where the man, by the name of BURHAM LADUIE (sp?). He begins to tell me that the drone cannot travel with me by airplane and it is being sent back to Addis Ababa. I asked him to show me something that states he is allowed to do this, website, pamphlet, email - and he said it was a "new directive". I told him we only have a two hour layover in Addis on our way back to the States. "Oh, it will be waiting for you as you get off the plane. Just go to this office and it will be there waiting for you." I turned to my colleague and told him we will never see this drone again. I was not about to argue with a customs agent in a village outpost of Ethiopia and I can't imagine others would do so as well.
He then pulled a white sheet of paper from his printer and handwrote his name and mobile number as well as who to go see in Addis Ababa (see below). I asked for a government document outlining what he took along with my name - nothing. And what ended up happening? We flew into Addis two days later and had a two hour layover. We arrived into the domestic terminal and the wild goose chase began. No one had ever heard of a drone being confiscated, not customs, not the airline, no one. We were told to go to lost and found at the international terminal....and guess what? No drone. Who is this "Daniel" guy? I have tried the phone number and no one picks up.
Coming back to the US, I see nothing which states drones are not allowed in the country - and I am now trying to hunt down a brand new $1000 drone with $500 in accessories.
Hello Everyone, I am posting this so that it is searchable.
I went on a fifteen city/eight country tour looking for sites to shoot a film. We started in Darwin, Australia and worked our way to Northern Ethiopia. We brought with us a Mavic Pro Platinum drone, which is on the higher end of consumer drones - I state "consumer" just to be sure it is understood. We looked like tourists and not a typical film crew one would expect to see with crates of equipment.
We went through Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Sri Lanka, India, Singapore, Thailand with no issues with the drone, NONE, either as checked baggage or as a carry-on. We arrived into Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (ADD), without incident and departed the following day, again, no issues. The drone was brought as a carry-on and we went through security twice, once when we entered ADD domestic and then again at the gate.
The group of us flew to Lalibela (LLI), in Northern Ethiopia, we did what we went for and the following day we showed up at LLI where everything was scanned right at the entrance of the airport. The scanner asked if we had a drone, to which we said "yes". "You can't travel with drone," he said, to which I said, "that's nonsense, online it states it's okay to have a drone." He then ASKED FOR THE MEMORY CARD. This surprised me the most, because he wanted to confiscate it. One of our crew managed to pull it out of the drone and stick it in his pants. We told him we didn't use the drone in Ethiopia and there was no memory card.
I was taken to the customs office, the sole office, where the man, by the name of BURHAM LADUIE (sp?). He begins to tell me that the drone cannot travel with me by airplane and it is being sent back to Addis Ababa. I asked him to show me something that states he is allowed to do this, website, pamphlet, email - and he said it was a "new directive". I told him we only have a two hour layover in Addis on our way back to the States. "Oh, it will be waiting for you as you get off the plane. Just go to this office and it will be there waiting for you." I turned to my colleague and told him we will never see this drone again. I was not about to argue with a customs agent in a village outpost of Ethiopia and I can't imagine others would do so as well.
He then pulled a white sheet of paper from his printer and handwrote his name and mobile number as well as who to go see in Addis Ababa (see below). I asked for a government document outlining what he took along with my name - nothing. And what ended up happening? We flew into Addis two days later and had a two hour layover. We arrived into the domestic terminal and the wild goose chase began. No one had ever heard of a drone being confiscated, not customs, not the airline, no one. We were told to go to lost and found at the international terminal....and guess what? No drone. Who is this "Daniel" guy? I have tried the phone number and no one picks up.
Coming back to the US, I see nothing which states drones are not allowed in the country - and I am now trying to hunt down a brand new $1000 drone with $500 in accessories.
Apr 17, 2018, 12:04 pm
#2
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,747
That is really unfortunate.
@DanielW reported that his drone was confiscated on leaving Lalibela. Fortunately, he was reunited with it in Addis.
Six Days In Ethiopia
@DanielW reported that his drone was confiscated on leaving Lalibela. Fortunately, he was reunited with it in Addis.
Six Days In Ethiopia
Last edited by SanDiego1K; Apr 17, 2018 at 12:17 pm
Apr 19, 2018, 10:32 am
#4
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: London, UK
Posts: 163
As to the laws of Ethiopia, things work differently in countries outside of the USA and particularly in places like Ethiopia. If you google about drones you'll get a hundred different peoples opinion of what the law is and none are from official governmental sites. Most do say that commercial work, which you say yours was, requires a permit.. I'd take a punt that you hadn't bought the permit?
Jul 2, 2018, 2:53 pm
#5
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, AA, DL
Posts: 7,418
FWIW, I was recently in Botswana and they have pretty strict laws on drones, including a penalty of confiscation for violation of the regs. The article mentioned several countries in southern Africa have such rules - I was told by a guide that in part this relates to anti-poaching campaigns (drones can be used to spot elephants/rhinos).
https://drone-traveller.com/drone-laws-botswana/
https://drone-traveller.com/drone-laws-botswana/