Canadian Ultrarunner Arrested in India for Satellite Device
Canadian trail runner Tina Lewis faced legal trouble in India after airport security discovered her Garmin inReach Mini, a satellite communication device. Her detention and subsequent legal fees stemmed from an obscure Indian law prohibiting unlicensed satellite communication devices, rooted in older legislation and reinforced after the 2008 Mumbai attacks. This incident highlights a lack of awareness among travelers regarding this regulation, as evidenced by similar recent arrests of other individuals with satellite devices. The law’s continued enforcement, despite the increasing prevalence of satellite communication capabilities in modern smartphones, is being questioned.
John Q. Hosedrinker