Travel agents give tips to avoid being arrested abroad for items in your luggage

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Travel agents say situations like that of an Oklahoma man arrested in Turks and Caicos for carrying ammunition in his luggage are more common than people think – and that people should also be careful about the medicines and clothing they take during their trip. abroad.

Ryan Watson, an Edmond resident, is expected to plead guilty Wednesday in Turks and Caicos, after police arrested him in April.

It is illegal to possess ammunition in the Turks and Caicos Islands and is punishable by up to 12 years in prison.

Turks and Caicos Islands airport security found ammunition in Watson's luggage when he arrived for his flight home in April.

Watson said he recently used the bag for hunting and didn't realize the ammunition was inside.

“I feel so bad for this guy,” said Lia Vincent, owner of Oklahoma City-based travel agency Vincent Vacations. “It’s really a shame. This seems like such an extreme punishment.

But Vincent says that ultimately, Watson's situation didn't really surprise her.

“I can totally see how that could happen,” Vincent said.

She says this with confidence, because she's seen this happen once before.

“We had a customer with a problem before traveling with ammunition to Mexico,” she said. “And the Turks and Caicos Islands have a stricter policy than Mexico on this, but people who went to Mexico still had to go to jail. »

Now, it gives the same warning to all its customers:

“Always travel with travel luggage,” Vincent said. “And if you use anything with it like for hunting, just keep it in a completely different cupboard.” Don't mix this with your travel stuff.

And it's more than just ammo that you need to keep in mind when packing for an international trip.

According to her, beyond ammunition and weapons, certain drugs tend to attract the attention of authorities in foreign countries. Even foreign countries that appear to have laws similar to those in the United States

Specifically, she says many people don't realize that most stimulants prescribed in the United States to treat ADHD are illegal in many European countries.

“Even things like controlled substances like Adderall, for example,” she said. “There are many countries where Adderall is illegal.”

She says even the clothes you wear could land you in handcuffs, if you don't do your research first.

“There are some countries where you're not supposed to wear camouflage and you can get in trouble if you camouflage in their country,” she said.

In fact, you don't even have to travel abroad to get in trouble for carrying something that is perfectly legal in the place of departure.

“Medical marijuana is legal in Oklahoma,” she said. “But it's [illegal] in federal law. So you cannot travel even on a domestic flight with marijuana.”