A United Kingdom-based hiker was detained at the Delhi Airport for carrying a Garmin inReach GPS device, which is banned in India. Heather, who goes by Hiker Heather on Instagram, was on her way to Rishikesh in Uttarakhand when she was detained.
Narrating her experience on Instagram, Heather warned other travellers not to bring devices like Garmin inReach or any satellite communicator to India. “They are illegal here,” she said, while sharing a video from the airport where she was detained.
“At around 10.30am this morning, 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,” Heather said on her page.
After being told that the device she was carrying was illegal, Heather contacted the embassy, which was unable to intervene in legal proceedings. “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 said.
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She was later released from the police station and was told that she was required to return to attend court. “I am not the only person who has fallen victim to this law, hence I felt compelled to write this post, in hope that it will save even one of you from suffering the same fate,” Heather further said.
Heather said the experience overwhelmed her and referenced a recent case involving a Canadian runner arrested in India in December for carrying a similar device. “I don’t know what the outcome will be at present, this all feels totally overwhelming and I guess I will just have to wait….,” she added.
In early December, a Canadian runner named Tina Lewis was arrested at the Goa airport on her way to Kochi for carrying a similar communications device. She was detained and interrogated about the Garmin inReach for the next four hours, according to Outside Magazine.
Garmin inReach, a Swiss-based satellite communication device, is banned in India as the country has prohibited the unauthorised use of satellite phones and devices to prevent security risks and illegal surveillance.
