Canadian woman arrested in India for carrying Garmin In-Reach device on plane

 

 

A Canadian woman was arrested last month for carrying a banned Garmin In-Reach device through airports in India. Tina Lewis, 51, was sent to a Goa jail after the device was found in her luggage. Lewis, a telemedicine nurse practitioner and ultra-marathon runner, arrived at Dabolim International Airport on December 5 to fly to Kerala and was found to have the device during a security check. Lewis was unaware that the Garmin In-Reach Mini was banned in India by law.

Immediately after finding the device, officers of the Central Industrial Security Force at the Naval Base Airport handed Lewis over to the local police. After a court hearing, Lewis was allowed to be released from detention in Goa and resume his journey. The court imposed a fine of 16 Canadian dollars and Lewis got his passport back six days later.

Lewis was released on bail after talking to people he knew and hiring a female lawyer. After discussing the matter with the lawyers, it was decided not to contact the Canadian embassy. This was done because the case was likely to drag on for months.

Apart from India, several countries including China, Russia, and Pakistan have imposed legal restrictions on traveling with GPS devices.