Egypt detains NY passenger with guns in luggage

Source: MSNBC/AP

CAIRO - Police have detained an American-Egyptian man who arrived in Cairo on a flight from New York with several weapons in his luggage, airport officials said Wednesday

The officials said the man was taken into custody as he tried to pass through customs with a metal box containing two 9 mm handguns, 250 bullets, several swords, daggers and knives.

The box had been checked and the contents were discovered during a routine inspection upon arrival on an Egypt Air flight from New York's JFK International Airport in Cairo, according to the officials. They said customs inspectors were then alerted and the man was detained.

He was only identified as a botany teacher.



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37103160/ns/world_news-africa/

---

Heckuva job TSA. Still no danger to the flight since the bags were checked.

I'm not seeing how he put anybody on the flight in danger?

Taking firearms to another country is an entirely different matter, even if the guns are perfectly legal there.

ergo incapable of doing anything wrong.

All kidding aside, what was the idiot in this story thinking? Imagine a bunch of dark skinned people landed in JFK with suitcases packed with guns. Also, how come the guns were never intercepted in the US? I thought they were checking luggage now for traces of, among other things, gun powder...

You have to declare firearms in checked baggage.

IF the guy checked the weapons (which I doubt), the person at the counter should have stopped it right there because the flight was international.

All kidding aside, what was the idiot in this story thinking?

The smart money is on him being a DUMBASS.

Update from Rush: Oh wait, he might be Muslim? He has no rights!

But not on international flights.

You used to be able to transport guns in your checked baggage if you declared them. Don't know if Egypt ever allowed that but the US used to.

From the BATFE's Web site:

Q: Does a licensee need an export license to export a firearm?

The GCA does not require export licenses. However, most firearms and ammunition must be exported in accordance with the provisions of the Arms Export Control Act of 1976. Regulations implementing this Act generally require a license to be obtained from the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, Department of State, PM/DDTC, SA-1, Room 1200, 2401 E St., N.W., Washington, DC 20037; (202) 663-1282.

The export of sporting shotguns and ammunition for sporting shotguns is regulated by the U.S. Department of Commerce rather than the State Department. An export license is generally needed to export these shotguns and ammunition. For further information, contact them at their nearest district office or the Bureau of Industry and Security, Outreach and Educational Services Division, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th St. & Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20230, (202) 482-4811.

When exporting NFA firearms, ATF Form 9 must be completed and approved by ATF prior to export.

22 U.S.C. 2778, 27 CFR

I can remember when my brother used to go hunting in Canada, he would take his rifle and ammunition. But during the past decade it's gotten to be such a hassle, he only goes bow hunting in Canada now.

Taking a gun into Canada or Mexico without going through the red tape is going to get you thrown in jail.

I have no idea if it's even possible to take a firearm to Egypt for a hunting trip, but someone who just puts a weapon in his luggage is asking for trouble.

has landed several people in jail. Typically it happens in border towns where people cross to hunt, but it's still an undocumented firearm. (Example: http://archive.seacoastonline.com/2003news/02162003/maine/13264.htm)

Once an international border is involved, you can pretty much assume transportation of firearms and weapons of any other kind will be illegal. Either that, or it will be prohibitively difficult for an average person to bring them across.



ETA: Sorry, should have been a reply to #10.

It's happened to a lot of people.

You pay them a small fee, and they fill out out the proper ATF forms, box it, ship it, and deliver it to your door in the new country. These companies exist because doing it yourself is a minefield. Not only do you have to be aware of U.S. laws, but you need to have the forms and permits filled out in your destination country as well. In most countries (including the U.S.), a foreign national posessing a firearm is a very heavily regulated (if not outright prohibited) thing. This guy was a nitwit if he thought that he could just toss them into his suitcase and fly to Cairo.

I just looked it up. Egypt does permit personal firearms ownership, but they require an ownership permit replete with background checks and lots of paperwork. This guy was breaking Egyptian law the moment his plane touched down.

There are legitimate reasons to want to transport personal firearms internationally. Hunting Trips. Gun Competitions. Olympic type shooting sports, IPSC and IDPA are 3 I can think of offhand.

Source: BBC

Police in Egypt have arrested an Egyptian-American academic discovered to have several weapons in his luggage as he arrived on a flight from the US.

Officials said they saw the man, named as Mohammed Ibrahim Marei, a professor of botany, "behaving nervously" as he waited to pass through customs.

In his bags they found two handguns, 250 bullets, several swords, daggers and knives.

He had arrived on an Egyptair flight from New York to Cairo.

The authorities said they had launched an investigation, it was reported.

snip>

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8678267.stm

Sometime in 2005 or 06 I was at LAX and forgot about a lighter I had in my dirty clothes home. They found that thing quicker than shit. LOL! And I thought for a nanosecond, I'm doomed. LOL! I guess with these underwear bombers, lighters are more dangerous than guns and knives. Maybe that is why they let him pass. LOL!

man-eating plants?

Took my son to Disney World years ago. Since we never let him have toy guns, the one souvenir he asked for, of course, was an old school toy pistol from Pirates of the Caribbean. Didn't have the heart to refuse.

Don't you know, airport security wouldn't let us on the plane, even knowing it was a toy from Disney World? This was before 911, too.

Swords after 911, though? No problemo.

- He could get it on the plane via checked luggage but couldn't get it through customs into the country.