American Ryan Watson stuck in Turks and Caicos jail and facing 12 years in prison after airport staff found four rounds of ammo in his luggage as he tried to return home – ‘It was an innocent mistake!’
I am sure that it was a mistake. I am sure that he meant no harm, nor did he intend to break the laws….and one wonders how he could be so stupid as to make that mistake. How did the rounds get into his carry on? Further, how did he miss them while packing for his latest trip? 4 rounds in a ziploc bag is not a tiny thing.
Having said that, If you are that stupid to have brought “Hunting Ammo” on a trip,,,,IN YOUR CARRY ON, from a previous trip, you sorta deserve what you get.
Why would ammo be in a carry-on (domestic or international) in the first place? AFAIK, the TSA discourages the carriage of rifle rounds in domestic carry-ons as well. Which leads to make me wonder how he got it on the plane FROM the US in the first place.. If his story is true, then the TSA had to have missed these rifle rounds TWICE….once when he flew home from his hunting trip, and again when he left to go to on this vacation.
The Turks and Caicos is not the US. He is learning a very valuable lesson.
If I should “accidentally” bring pot back from Amsterdam, then that is on me…..”It was in my backpack and I was carrying it for a friend and forgot to take it out before boarding” isn’t gonna cut it with Customs in the US, is it?
Either way, it is up to the traveler to make sure his possessions are legal where he is going.
Stupid should hurt. and it is apparently casing him pain right now.