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It is what it is. Their country, their rules, no matter how irrational they may seem. It was an honest mistake, hopefully he can appeal for a shorter sentence or something.
I could these easily happening , especially if one has a bag that does double duty, a range bag and a travel one. Loose rounds and brass are a thing.
I've been to the Turks, and they are strict on drug usage as well, yet one individual in our group was able to score some weed within an hour of being there. It was nice there, but I wouldn't return, I much prefer Grand Cayman.
Yes, it could easily happen.
I grew up in Australia, where travel to South East Asia is about as common as a holiday to grandma’s at Christmas.
We gave it hammered into us that SE Asian countries have zero tolerance for drugs with stiff penalties including death and if you get caught the Australian government quite likely won’t be able to help you.
There have been Australian citizens hung in Malaysia over weed, for example.
As a result, I am ultra stupidly paranoid about what’s in my bags. I would never ever use a bag that had doubled for use for an activity that could get me thrown in jail in another country.
I keep bags for travel that are never used for anything else. They are pristine. If you hunt, or shoot, or do recreational drugs, or have lots of prescription medications that could end up in the corner of a regularly used bag - for gawd’s sake get yourself a new piece of luggage for international travel. Even trace amounts of weed or whatever can be sniffed out by drug dogs, and that can make for a very unpleasant time at any airport including your own city when you get back.
It’s unfathomable to me that people do not take this seriously. Other countries are deadly serious about prohibited items, and it’s so easy to avoid this.
Or they said it was a 12 year minimum because it's a 12 year minimum. Like Brave said above though, it won't be 12 years. It never is. Being an American is an "exceptional circumstance" so they always come back with much less than mandatory jail time and a substantial fine. Exceptional circumstances is British-speak for when we ignore the law because.
I hope this guy learned his lesson. He should just pay a fine, that's it. I won't put him in prison, what's the point?
I wouldn’t put him in prison either, but it’s not up to us, unfortunately. There’s lots of situations where putting people in prison doesn’t have a point except that that’s the penalty if you break the law.
There are tons of tourists from Western countries rotting in foreign jails because they didn’t think the laws of the country they were going to really applied to them.
I reckon if this guy had had a bit of coke and not bullets, a lot of people here would not be so sympathetic.
Or they said it was a 12 year minimum because it's a 12 year minimum. Like Brave said above though, it won't be 12 years. It never is. Being an American is an "exceptional circumstance" so they always come back with much less than mandatory jail time and a substantial fine. Exceptional circumstances is British-speak for when we ignore the law because.
I posted a link to an American who pleaded guilty to having ammunition in his luggage there who got sentenced to six months. So no, it’s not a minimum of 12 years.
Maybe they put it that way to make sure Americans are scared enough to check their bags, because everything else says "potential" 12 years or "up to", and the American already sentenced got 6 months:
"Watson is one of several Americans who have been detained in the territory in recent months under similar circumstances. Michael Grim from Indiana served almost six months in prison after pleading guilty to having ammunition in his checked bag."
Several Americans?! What the hell is up with people travelling with ammunition in their luggage? It beggars belief. You can’t even carry a large bottle of shampoo.
Several Americans?! What the hell is up with people travelling with ammunition in their luggage? It beggars belief. You can’t even carry a large bottle of shampoo.
There are four Americans that have been charged with this just over the last couple of months.
Several Americans?! What the hell is up with people travelling with ammunition in their luggage? It beggars belief. You can’t even carry a large bottle of shampoo.
TSA confiscated over 6,000 firearms at checkpoints and over 90% were loaded, people are extremely careless. I have no sympathy.
I posted a link to an American who pleaded guilty to having ammunition in his luggage there who got sentenced to six months. So no, it’s not a minimum of 12 years.
Yup, got another American is an exceptional circumstances so not that 12 year minimum per the law.
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