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A Scottish hiker was detained at the Delhi airport on Thursday for carrying a GPS device, which are banned in India. Heather was headed to Rishikesh when the security at the Indira Gandhi International Airport handed her over to the police for carrying a Garmin inReach GPS.
Heather shared her experience on Instagram, asking other travellers not to bring devices like Garmin inReach or any satellite communicator to India. "Do not try to travel to India with a Garmin inReach or any other satellite communicator," she said in her post, adding, "They are illegal here."
In a video on Instagram, Heather said that she even contacted the embassy but was told there was little they could do since she was now in the hands of the law in India. Heather also claimed that during her detention, the police denied her access to water.
In a detailed caption, Heather wrote, "At around 10.30 am, I was passing through security at Delhi Airport with the intention of taking an internal flight to Rishikesh. I innocently placed my Garmin inReach in the tray to go through the scanner, and at that moment I was promptly pulled aside by security and told to wait."
She claimed that after being made to wait for a long time, she was told that the Garmin was illegal in India "and that they were handing me over to the police."
"I was eventually taken to the police station where I was questioned, in a fairly friendly manner, and made to sign document after document. I didn't take the 'no comment' stance, foolishly or not, it is my nature to be honest, and after all, there was absolutely no intent on my behalf," she wrote.
After several hours in police custody, Heather said she was released around 9 pm but was told she would have to return for a court appearance.
She added, "I am not the only person who has fallen victim to this law. Hence, I felt compelled to write this post." She also referenced a recent case involving a Canadian runner arrested in India in December for carrying a similar device.
Though Heather claimed the detention overwhelmed her, she hoped sharing her story would help others avoid a similar fate. "I don't know what the outcome will be," she said, adding, "I guess I will just have to wait."
Take a look at her post here:
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Mountain Leader, Adventurer & Thru-Hiker ???????????? (@hiker_heather)
A month ago, a Canadian woman was detained on December 6 at Goa's Dabolim International Airport. She was to fly to Kochi, carrying a Garmin GPS device. After placing it in the scanning tray, security approached her, questioned her, and armed guards then escorted her from the line. Missing her flight, Lewis was held for four hours and interrogated about the device. Despite receiving a fine of just $11, she paid over $2,000 in legal fees and bail.