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Camouflage-clad men flying drones in suburban area not a threat, say Langley RCMP

Odd sales tactics result in warning over bylaw infraction
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A nearby resident snapped a photo of a tent set up in a Langley park that caused concern for some neighbours recently. Police said the camouflage clad men and their tent were no threat. (Facebook)

When men wearing camouflage set up a tent and began flying drones in a quiet Langley neighbourhood, it caused a brief alarm for locals.

But Langley RCMP looked into the matter, and say it was ultimately nothing more than an odd incident that resulted in a minor bylaw infraction.

The incident began in the first week of October as residents in the Forest Hills area of Walnut Grove started seeing men in green camo outfits in the area.

They set up a small tent, also in a green camouflage pattern, at the corner of 87B Avenue and 213th Street, where a trail leads through to Forest Hills Park.

On a local neighbourhood Facebook page, locals also noted that the men appeared to have been flying drones overhead.

Apprehension about what they were doing led people to call the non-emergency line for the Langley RCMP.

When police arrived, they questioned the man, and determined they were going door-to-door trying to drum up business for a property services business, said Cpl. Craig Van Herk, spokesperson for the Langley RCMP.

The tent had apparently been set up as a sort of “home base” where the workers could return to stay dry when it was raining.

Comments on Facebook suggested that the drones were to check gutters and roofs.

Although nothing criminal was going on, Van Herk noted that the situation could have been a little alarming for some locals, and was certainly a bit unusual.

In the end, the RCMP called Langley Township’s bylaw officers in.

Van Herk said that bylaw officers checked the company’s business license, and informed the crew that they were not allowed to do door-to-door sales, and also they were not allowed to set up their pop-up tent on a public park area.

Police also checked into reports that a child had been seen with the group – it was the child of one of the workers, who was meeting up with their father after school, Van Herk said.

READ ALSO: Strange incident at Langley’s Campbell Valley Park



Matthew Claxton

About the Author: Matthew Claxton

Raised in Langley, as a journalist today I focus on local politics, crime and homelessness.
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