American tourist facing possible 12-year prison sentence after ammo found in luggage in Turks and Caicos

[NHCraigT]

American tourist facing possible 12-year prison sentence after ammo found in luggage in Turks and Caicos

Ryan Watson could face at least 12 years in prison in Turks and Caicos after airport security allegedly found four rounds of hunting ammo in his carry-on.

www.cbsnews.com

Watson is home, but her husband, Ryan Watson, is in jail on the island and facing a potential mandatory minimum sentence of 12 years behind bars after airport security allegedly found four rounds of hunting ammo in his carry-on bag earlier this month....

...Possessing a gun or ammunition is prohibited in Turks and Caicos, but tourists were previously often able to just pay a fine. In February, however, a court order mandated that even tourists in the process of leaving the country are subject to prison time.

 

[Soundwave]

How did that not get caught on the way down? I had a random .45 bullet that ended up in the lining of a carry-on. Security at Logan just pulled me aside for a second and disposed of it.

 

[not new guy]

I've talked to 3 different people from MA who all went to T&C for school vacation week. f*** that place though - 12 years in prison for ammo?

 

[Tim_McD]

So he cleared the x-ray in the US with that in his carry-on?

Ryan Watson, is in jail on the island and facing a potential mandatory minimum sentence of 12 years behind bars after airport security allegedly found four rounds of hunting ammo in his carry-on bag earlier this month.

Sorry, but there is something to the phrase “stupid should hurt”

 

[Ultrarunner]

So he cleared the x-ray in the US with that in his carry-on?

Ryan Watson, is in jail on the island and facing a potential mandatory minimum sentence of 12 years behind bars after airport security allegedly found four rounds of hunting ammo in his carry-on bag earlier this month.

Sorry, but there is something to the phrase “stupid should hurt”

Dumb, but 12 years in prison dumb, no.

 

[Uzi2]

Yet another judge that should be hanged.

 

[EJFudd]

Sounds like a nice place to avoid... permanently.

 

[Horatio_Alger_Jr]

This is the type of reason why I have dedicated range bags. It is not worth finding out about stupid laws because I wanted to save $50 and not buy another bag for traveling.

 

[nstassel]

This is the type of reason why I have dedicated range bags. It is not worth finding out about stupid laws because I wanted to save $50 and not buy another bag for traveling.

This x1000. I have had many cases of people rushing to Logan with a bag that had a gun left in it.

 

[VetteGirlMA]

You know any place run by the British is going to be a hell hole.

 

[drgrant]

How did that not get caught on the way down?

Not sure if serious, numerous people have accidentally smuggled entire (loaded) guns through TSA.

 

[drgrant]

I've talked to 3 different people from MA who all went to T&C for school vacation week. f*** that place though - 12 years in prison for ammo?

"Most other countries on the face of the earth have far worse gun laws than the worst 5 states in America" = pretty reliable assertion to remember.

 

[Palladin]

cross that off the travel list...

 

[drgrant]

cross that off the travel list...

Strictly speaking you'll be crossing a lot off, if extreme gun enforcement is to be avoided. One just usually isn't exposed to it.

 

[Palladin]

Strictly speaking you'll be crossing a lot off, if extreme gun enforcement is to be avoided. One just usually isn't exposed to it.

if you've seen one shithole Caribbean country, you've seen them all

 

[not new guy]

"Most other countries on the face of the earth have far worse gun laws than the worst 5 states in America" = pretty reliable assertion to remember.

I get it, but for a country with zero going on economically outside of tourism you’d think they’d be more reasonable about victimless crimes committed by the visiting golden geese.

 

[drgrant]

I get it, but for a country with zero going on economically outside of tourism you’d think they’d be more reasonable about victimless crimes committed by the visiting golden geese.

Authoritarian dickbag countries (aka most of the world btw) view guns and ammunition like we view things like Fentanyl. It's usually an irrational over the top response because the people who drive the laws and enforcement are alarmist histrionic fgts.

 

[TJ4]

I get it, but for a country with zero going on economically outside of tourism you’d think they’d be more reasonable about victimless crimes committed by the visiting golden geese.

The people who live in these countries despise tourists, even if it is the country’s bread and butter. The official at the airport probably still has a boner after arresting this guy.

 

[Soundwave]

Not sure if serious, numerous people have accidentally smuggled entire (loaded) guns through TSA.

I get that people have smuggled things through but this seemed like an accident. I guess if it was in a checked bag maybe it doesn't get the same scan a carry-on.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

They let the wife go because they needed someone in the US to make regular wire transfers to pay for the attorney in T&C.

 

[drgrant]

I get that people have smuggled things through but this seemed like an accident. I guess if it was in a checked bag maybe it doesn't get the same scan a carry-on.

I think you missed what I'm talking about what I mean is people merely had guns in their bags and they had unintentionally done so. Then they show up in some other airport and they discover that they left the gun in their bag. If anything American screenings are always porous as hell. I think checked bags honestly they're only looking for bombs the rest of the stuff they could give a shit less about.

 

[Broc]

How did that not get caught on the way down? I had a random .45 bullet that ended up in the lining of a carry-on. Security at Logan just pulled me aside for a second and disposed of it.

It happens very often.

 

[Broc]

This is the type of reason why I have dedicated range bags. It is not worth finding out about stupid laws because I wanted to save $50 and not buy another bag for traveling.

It happens even with dedicated bags.

I keep all my range sh*t separate and have found a couple of rounds of 9mm inside a shoe, inside my carry on when I arrived to mely destination.

 

[Broc]

Strictly speaking you'll be crossing a lot off, if extreme gun enforcement is to be avoided. One just usually isn't exposed to it.

Pretty much the entire world.

In before the "BuT SwItZeRlAnD" comment.

 

[Stryker]

I learned my lesson - about 10 years ago I grabbed a back pack for a two-day handgun course, came home and cleaned out the bag in its entirety (even shook it) - took that same bag on a business trip through Japan into Singapore where I had meetings over the next 2-3 days. As I was packing for the trip home the next morning, my backpack fell off the bed, and wouldn't you know it, a single 9mm round popped out onto the floor. Singapore has similar very restrictive laws with I think a 10-20 year min sentence for possession of ammunition. I was very lucky as it wasn't caught on the way there and I found it before I went to the Singapore airport on the way home. Needless to say I disposed of the round on a long walk by a river and threw my backpack in the trash - it could have been very costly in the end

 

[rudiewhitebwoy]

Dumb, but 12 years in prison dumb, no.

Must be 3 years per round.

 

[allen-1]

This is blowing up on ScubaBoard. I'm finding that a number of divers really don't like guns.

Trying very hard to keep my mouth shut over there.

 

[Buck F]

Authoritarian dickbag countries (aka most of the world btw) view guns and ammunition like we view things like Fentanyl. It's usually an irrational over the top response because the people who drive the laws and enforcement are alarmist histrionic fgts.

It's not just the people who drive the laws, the general public is terrified of guns in most other countries. I visit friends Europe every couple/few years. They're beyond shocked at what I have, that I carry, etc. These are people I grew up with, people that I consider family and who consider me family; there's just an enormous divide on the gun culture between the US and most of the rest of the world, the EU in particular. Of course when they come here they want to go to the range, lol.

 

[Tim_McD]

I learned my lesson - about 10 years ago I grabbed a back pack for a two-day handgun course, came home and cleaned out the bag in its entirety (even shook it) - took that same bag on a business trip through Japan into Singapore where I had meetings over the next 2-3 days. As I was packing for the trip home the next morning, my backpack fell off the bed, and wouldn't you know it, a single 9mm round popped out onto the floor. Singapore has similar very restrictive laws with I think a 10-20 year min sentence for possession of ammunition. I was very lucky as it wasn't caught on the way there and I found it before I went to the Singapore airport on the way home. Needless to say I disposed of the round on a long walk by a river and threw my backpack in the trash - it could have been very costly in the end

The same folks on NES that would applaud a Tik-Tok influencer receiving a ten-stroke Singaporean caning for spitting gum on the sidewalk are clutching pearls that some dumb-ass is in trouble for getting caught with 4 rds in his carry on in a foreign country

That a country enforces its own laws is what seems to shock ppl….we are too use to the multi-tiered justice system of the USA and think that it is the norm

 

[fishgutzy]

These cases really amount to kidnap for ransom by the state. Only those who can afford a 5 or 6 figure fine (ransom) get to go home.
This guy is screwed.
NEVER EVER travel with any bag that has ever been used as a range bag or anything firearms related.
I got extra screening once because I forgot to wash my hands after handling a range bag before packing my protein powder for a trip. The sniffer detected traces.