Private pilots do this a lot. Not everyone, but a lot. You hear stories of someone taking aerial pictures of their home and the guy flew them over it for a cost of…, or something like that.
This HUEY flight is a similar situation to the illegal use of private pilots moving very expensive football players around - only highlighted by a crash off the island of Jersey, UK.
I’m quite sure this situation isn’t a rarity and also that authorities, world-wide, know it’s being done but can’t dig the operations out or have proof of payment - especially if the money goes through the owner’s v.large accounts and not through the operation itself. Controversially, I believe the authorities have no real ‘drive’ to finding illegal activities as long as the revenue is pouring in…a ‘don’t ask’ policy.
R.I.P. to the victims.