Gents,

For anyone who might be flying into Afghanistan or Iraq...

This email was passed on to me earlier.. try to verify if it did in fact come from U.S. Embassy btw.



Just received info from the US embassy in UAE. Recent changes in UAE law warrant your attention as they relate to the transportation of police equipment through the UAE. Bottom line is that violators will face prosecution and fines and the US embassy there will not intervene on your behalf. Please give this the widest possible dissemination. Please do not ad lib or edit contents below.


… all US personnel – to avoid violation of Emirati laws by the intentional or accidental transport of any arms or items considered as law enforcement equipment or military gear. UAE airport personnel will x-ray all baggage – checked or carry-on - and cargo shipments, including household goods, both incoming and outgoing. UAE authorities will confiscate any weapons, weapon parts, ammunition, body armour, handcuffs, sensitive electronics, cryptographic devices, and/or other military/police equipment transported to or through a civilian airport. Persons found to be carrying such items will be arrested and face strict criminal penalties, including imprisonment and large monetary fines

… One such incident involved one bullet, found in the bag of a traveller who had unknowingly left the item in his bag. This individual was detained by the police and now faces a possible jail sentence and large monetary fine. In other similar incidents, U.S. defence contractors transiting the U.A.E. with weapons were arrested and are now serving jail sentences of several months.

The following is a sampling of the types of items that are illegal in the United Arab Emirates. The list is NOT all inclusive, but does include the following:

• Weapons of any type, to include guns of any type, including simulators, assembled or disassembled, in carry-on or checked baggage.

• Ammunition or pyrotechnics of any type to include spent brass or casings.

• Body armour, including ballistic vests and military/police helmets.

• Police or law enforcement paraphernalia, including; handcuffs, flexi-cuffs, night vision goggles, gun holsters, pepper spray etc.

• Military-style electronics and cryptographic devices.

The smallest quantity of any of the above mentioned items can result in detention and prosecution, to include a possible jail sentence, in the United Arab Emirates.

Well "What the fuck,over!" Now what? Trust the mail system in delivering our personal gear? Anyone have any ideas? I'm in the process of landing a new gig which will send me right through Dubai. :(

Bro,
By reading this i was lucky, they decided to take my NVGs after 2 hrs of so called talks, then they walked me out the airport to the next terminal.

What about two way radios, knee & elbow pads or GPS receivers?

Seriously,I'd be scared to take anything "work" related till I get a complete list of the do's and dont's.

MAIL IT!!!!!

WYTAC wrote:

What about two way radios, knee & elbow pads or GPS receivers?

This goes back to December of 06, so it could have changed... but we had two way radios we picked up in australia seized at the airport in dubai as we were headed back to baghdad.. my buddy that had them was taken away for about 1/2 hour of questioning...they let him go, but didnt give us back the radios.. This was just a cheap pack of store bought radios, but they had a cow over them..

John61 wrote:

WYTAC wrote: What about two way radios, knee & elbow pads or GPS receivers? This goes back to December of 06, so it could have changed... but we had two way radios we picked up in australia seized at the airport in dubai as we were headed back to baghdad.. my buddy that had them was taken away for about 1/2 hour of questioning...they let him go, but didnt give us back the radios.. This was just a cheap pack of store bought radios, but they had a cow over them..

Roger that, in the mail they go with the weapon stuff.