Turks & Caicos Ammunition Charges

[forresj]

Has anyone else heard about the Americans being held in T&C for "ammunitions charges"? I heard about it on a podcast today and they had 2 of the 4 "offenders" on. These guys were both on regular old vacations separate from one another, not doing any hunting or anything to do with firearms and checked a bag that they had forgotten had a couple bullets in it. I think they both had some variation of 6.5. No problems at American customs or getting into Turks and Caicos.

They got back to the airport and got called for a "random bag check", then got taken to jail and separated from their families. One of the guys wife was taken into custody as well but they dropped her charges. They're both having to convince local people who they've never met to put up assets (guys have dropped of car and restaurant titles at the police station) to keep them out on bail. Both are looking at 12 years in prison if found guilty.

Wild stuff. I cant imagine being taken into custody for a potential 12 year prison sentence for something that is so run of the mill at home. They've got some responsibility here but it seems insane to hold those people for something that's not even close to purposefully breaking the law. One of the guys is from Pennsylvania and said he hadn't heard much from the US Gov but the other is from Oklahoma and said one of the OK senators has been working on the issue since he was taken into custody. The OK senator is pitching in for the Pennsylvanian now as well

[wob]

Friend of mine is an agronomist for the pga. He was doing something for them for a tournament being held in Mexico, and the same thing happened to him. Had some ammo, but no gun in a carry on bag. Got tossed in jail, and the pga had to pull some major strings to get him out. I think they might have left Mexico under the cover of darkness, and he can never go back.

These folks might be screwed.

[huntinghagen#12]

I saw it on the news this morning.

Last year I was at the smaller airport in Johannesburg, already through security, already checked bags, and I get called over the PA system. I go back to a small room. I had left spent brass in my bag, I didn't think it was a big deal (I had flown home with brass from Africa before) ... I was wrong. Got a little hairy and thought my wife and kids were about to make a flight to Cape Town without me. I get through it fine with a stern warning. Flying back to Johannesburg from Cape Town and I'm going through security. They ask me if I have anything I shouldn't have in my bag, I tell them 'no' ... They dig out a shell casing from the hunt where my son shot his first animal in Argentina a year prior, I had no clue it was in there and I've flown through different countries and airports countless times since then. Got hauled to another back room and questioned but ended up being fine ... My wife's nerves were a little rattled after going through that two times.

[adamb61085]

My parents were there and flying back home the day the 2nd couple got charged. About 10 mins after reading the article and thinking damn i hope that wasn’t mom and dad i get a text from my mom saying Dad had been pulled aside to be searched. Dad’s not a pussy so no chance of any 6.5 being found but some 9mm or 30-06 is a possibility.
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[Tater]

I’ll just stay home, thank you.

[Gulfstream]

Or leave your bullets and shotgun shells at home.....

[jwilliams]

Been to t&c 5 times. Their airport sucks. In 2020 security called my daughter for a “random bag check”. Told me she had to come by herself. Told him that wasn’t going to happen. He started trying to intimidate me. They ended up skipping the “random bag check” with her after it was all said and done. I don’t use profanity very often.

[Tater]

Or leave your bullets and shotgun shells at home.....

I’ve been to a lot of countries. None are better than the one I live in. I’ll stay here.

[JABIII]

Been to t&c 5 times. Their airport sucks. In 2020 security called my daughter for a “random bag check”. Told me she had to come by herself. Told him that wasn’t going to happen. He started trying to intimidate me. They ended up skipping the “random bag check” with her after it was all said and done. I don’t use profanity very often.

Good Father. I had a fat pedo TSA agent tell me he needed to pull my britches down in a private room because my fake knee set off the thing. I unbuttoned my belt and britches in the line and asked if I needed to drop trou right there? He sadly passed me along without getting to molest my junk...

[Sasha and Abby]

I used to go fly fishing off the South coast of Cuba every year. This was back 20 years ago when we had to book flights through Canada and fly to Cancun for a connector to Cuba. The State Department frowned upon knowledge of such activities... First time I went I had a duffle with NoDak duck hunting residue and empty shell residue all over it. I get in the Havana aeropuerto where it is a ZOO. Dogs walking around everywhere off lease (gov dogs). I had been shipped a motherboard for the 85' motherships control room that would be our accommodations for the next week. I'm waiting to meet the rest of the guys when one of the dogs (beagle) waddles past me. Being the dog lover I am, I reached down and petted him and talked to him. I thought he liked me when he sat down by my bag. About that time, three federales came up with MP5's and were talking and looking at the dog and then me. Even through my elementary level of Spanish I could tell it was about me and not good.

Basic search in the terminal and then more detailed search in the back. Finally got a supervisor that spoke some broken English and he started with detailed questions about gunpowder residue and sophisticated electronics that I had in my bag. After taking EVERY SINGLE THING I had with me apart, they let me put my flyrod cases back together and my gear back in the boxes, and repack all my clothes. They thought it was some sort of a communications jammer and bomb making tools. After 3 1/2 hours of detaining me and talking to 4 levels of command, they could find no concrete reason to keep me and let me leave.

Never had another problem in all the other times I went there. But, never carried another motherboard either

[WoodieSC]

These are great examples of why I’ve always kept my travel bags separate from any that have been near ammo or firearms, although it does make it easier that I've never done any air travel with a firearm.

[scmoose]

These are great examples of why I’ve always kept my travel bags separate from any that have been near ammo or firearms, although it does make it easier that I've never done any air travel with a firearm.

I came very close to learning this lesson the very hard way last week. I mean about four people away in line from learning it the hard way.

[raybird]

To hell with those tourist trap islands.

I’d rather go to lake jocassee.

[Tater]

Word

[WoodieSC]

I came very close to learning this lesson the very hard way last week. I mean about four people away in line from learning it the hard way.

Glad to hear you caught yourself just in time.

Remember to treat States like NJ the exact same way. If you get caught crossing their border with a hollow point bullet it can mean 3 years in prison.

[Coastal Woodie]

I came very close to learning this lesson the very hard way last week. I mean about four people away in line from learning it the hard way.

I about walked through security with a knife this morning. Realized it and threw it in my gun case before I checked it in. Then it took TSA 45 minutes to check 4 gun cases. I was last in line and almost missed my flight waiting on them.

[santee11]

If I got locked up like that in another country and the us did not try to help, someone would regret it when I got home.

[centurian]

When you leave the US it is the other countries rules that prevail. They love locking up privileged Americans. Even with our screwed up judicial system we still have it better than most.

[Steelin' Ducks]

I got the run around from TSA when trying to leave Canada to fly home. All over a choke tube in my bag. 30 minutes later they let me go on with it.

[Glenn]

I about walked through security with a knife this morning. Realized it and threw it in my gun case before I checked it in. Then it took TSA 45 minutes to check 4 gun cases. I was last in line and almost missed my flight waiting on them.

It’s worth the extra money to fly out of smaller airports for that reason. Last time I flew out of Atlanta I arrived 4 hours before my flight and still missed it due to tsa and their lack of knowledge of their own gun regulations. I fly out of gsp now and make sure to pick small airports on the other end as well.