Second American Detained in Thailand Over Single Bullet in Luggage

US media has reported that a second US citizen has been detained in Thailand after a single bullet was found in his suitcase. Michael Jones, 37 was detained at the airport with a single bullet in his luggage
Being the second American to be delineated with a single bullet in his luggage in a month.

https://www.chiangraitimes.com/thail...et-in-luggage/

It's a variation of the duty-free scam when an item was put into a punter's bag after they bought something and were apprehended later and charged with theft at the local police station but after a "fine" was paid through an "intermediary" lawyer the hapless victim could catch a flight back home.

He <deleted> someone off and this is what happens. Great publicity for the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Today, unlike in the past, it gets publicized on the internet to a much wider audience. 

 

 

Thailand seems to be too overzealous to arrest people following in the footsteps and the the same practices of a third world countries where the authorities are eager to arrest people on trivial excuse, as for what end game, no one can really fathom...

Just now, ChipButty said:

It's a variation of the duty-free scam when an item was put into a punter's bag after they bought something and were apprehended later and charged with theft at the local police station but after a "fine" was paid through an "intermediary" lawyer the hapless victim could catch a flight back home.

Variation but these guys spend weeks if not months of jail time. You can't just pull out your ATM card and settle on the spot with a payoff. “He had nothing, and when he tried to explain that to them, it’s like you really can’t challenge their authority there,” Durden-Jones said.

 

Jail time plus a lot of money. Enjoy your Family Friendly Vacation.

Taking a bullet through an airport is a crime in most countries. The only scam is that they allowed the guy to pay his way out.

 

Take cannabis through an airport, that is also far more dangerous then getting caught with it elsewhere. (smuggling gets added to the sentence then). 

 

I don't see the scam unless the Thais have put it them there themselves.

6 minutes ago, robblok said:

Taking a bullet through an airport is a crime in most countries. The only scam is that they allowed the guy to pay his way out.

 

Take cannabis through an airport, that is also far more dangerous then getting caught with it elsewhere. (smuggling gets added to the sentence then). 

 

I don't see the scam unless the Thais have put it them there themselves.

Unless  of  course  your a Thai  top Policeman and flying out of Japan.then its  just fine n dandy

33 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

It's a variation of the duty-free scam //

I have doubts. This happened many times already before, and seems to be always with Americans people who - coincidence? - are well known to love weapons so much...

 

You talk of scam but I remember several times people admitting that it was one of their bullet that they had forgotten in their bag or taken as souvenir...

 

One example:  https://www.reddit.com/r/Thailand/comments/4rliom/accidentally_bringing_bullet_into_thailand/

 

Its pretty common for Americans to have a single bullet in their luggage if they are shooters. I have been stopped by TSA myself with one in Alaska, so it was no big deal, but it would be somewhere else.

6 minutes ago, Chazar said:

Unless  of  course  your a Thai  top Policeman and flying out of Japan.then its  just fine n dandy

True.. but do you think it would have been different if a top cop from an other country. Then their embassy would also do as much more then for an "ordinary citizen"

I have heard some people keep it as a lucky charm, not lucky for him

23 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Its pretty common for Americans to have a single bullet in their luggage if they are shooters. I have been stopped by TSA myself with one in Alaska, so it was no big deal, but it would be somewhere else.

I am amazed that a shooter would not know the exact number and location of all bullets in the possession.

Stray one "found " in ones luggage smacks of untidy luggage, and carelessness of a potentially deadly item

 

10 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

I am amazed that a shooter would not know the exact number and location of all bullets in the possession.

Stray one "found " in ones luggage smacks of untidy luggage, and carelessness of a potentially deadly item

 

Bullets arent deadly. They are just a bullet. They just sit there and look at you until you shoot them. You shoot alot, you get strays. Also keep in mind that if it was a 22, its very small. I use packs, its easy to lose a round in a pack.

 

I remember a gf once who couldnt find her keys and dumped out her purse, she had 3 loose rounds in there along with bobby pins, tampax, lipstick.....

 

 

3 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Bullets arent deadly. They are just a bullet. They just sit there and look at you until you shoot them. You shoot alot, you get strays. Also keep in mind that if it was a 22, its very small. I use packs, its easy to lose a round in a pack.

 

I remember a gf once who couldnt find her keys and dumped out her purse, she had 3 loose rounds in there along with bobby pins, tampax, lipstick.....

 

 

I am no expert so you probably know better. Are you saying that bullets pose no danger at all. Heat, blows to a bullet cant cause them to go off ?

 

I mean they wont allow batteries, fuel and other stuff to be taken in luggage as it can be dangerous. Your telling me that bullets are absolutely safe safer then batteries and fuel to transport in luggage ?

Maybe for some Americans, the bullet is their version of an Amulet.

 

As a Canadian, we prefer beaver tail.

3 minutes ago, robblok said:

I am no expert so you probably know better. Are you saying that bullets pose no danger at all. Heat, blows to a bullet cant cause them to go off ?

 

I mean they wont allow batteries, fuel and other stuff to be taken in luggage as it can be dangerous. Your telling me that bullets are absolutely safe safer then batteries and fuel to transport in luggage ?

Yes: In order for a bullet to for off you need either extreme heat and then it will just go pop like a firecracker. And to get it that hot, thats the least of your problems.

 

For a round to be dangerous, it has to be confined and held mechanically in a barrel and the primer (the little round thing on the bottom) has to be struck with the exact amount of force in the exact place.

 

In other words, absent a gun, its just a piece of metal with a few grains of flame powder inside.

1 hour ago, robblok said:

Taking a bullet through an airport is a crime in most countries. The only scam is that they allowed the guy to pay his way out.

 

Take cannabis through an airport, that is also far more dangerous then getting caught with it elsewhere. (smuggling gets added to the sentence then). 

 

I don't see the scam unless the Thais have put it them there themselves.

a friend of mine from LA was going to work in Saudi and had 1 round in his luggage. It was his, he admitted it and they let him enter. Sorry, I don't believe the scam part especially when the person was an American -  where having a loose round in your bag is not that astonishing..

4 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

a friend of mine from LA was going to work in Saudi and had 1 round in his luggage. It was his, he admitted it and they let him enter. Sorry, I don't believe the scam part especially when the person was an American -  where having a loose round in your bag is not that astonishing..

Obviously is in Thailand

16 minutes ago, neeray said:

Maybe for some Americans, the bullet is their version of an Amulet.

 

As a Canadian, we prefer beaver tail.

To Thai's a little penis around his neck

There is an old scam run at the Manila airport (which has been going on for years now) and has possibly been adopted here.

 

Just google "bullet in suitcase scam in Philippines" for many stories.  

 

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=bullet+in+suitcase+scam+in+philippines&t=ffnt&atb=v185-1&ia=web

 

https://philippineslifestyle.com/tanim-bala-airport-bullet-scam-return/

Sounds like a scam.  you pack your guns in GUN specific carrying cases, not the same kind of luggage as when you go to Pattaya to shoot off other types of guns.

 

As said, this is an easily googled scam to do at an airport.

 

IF the guys busted are really active shooters, then maybe it's on them.  If they deny the allegations, this time I'll go with the tourists.

 

what's the point of bring one bullet into Thailand?

All luggage is x-rayed at the airports in the USA and any undeclared ammunition (which is not in it's original box or case as required under the TSA rules) would be spotted and flagged for inspection and removal, so I doubt that these are simply mistakes committed by the travelers themselves (more likely a scam or planted).

OP needs to work on his link posting ability ????

 

https://www.chiangraitimes.com/thailand-national-news/news-asia-thailand/second-american-detained-in-thailand-over-single-bullet-in-luggage/

I guess they give American guys' luggage extra attention, whoopee, pay day, Xmas has arrived.. I doubt even the Thais are stupid enough to play the old planted bullet in the luggage scam.

2 hours ago, robblok said:

Taking a bullet through an airport is a crime in most countries. The only scam is that they allowed the guy to pay his way out.

 

Take cannabis through an airport, that is also far more dangerous then getting caught with it elsewhere. (smuggling gets added to the sentence then). 

 

I don't see the scam unless the Thais have put it them there themselves.

How likely do you think it is that he made it onto the plane in the USA with a bullet?

It's a Thai police extortion scam.

I remember years ago an Irish colleague saying he was stopped by security at Dublin airport, he put his hand in the pockets of his Barbour jacket and they were full of shotgun cartridges. Apparently they confiscated them and he continued on his journey.

1 hour ago, RJRS1301 said:

I am amazed that a shooter would not know the exact number and location of all bullets in the possession.

Stray one "found " in ones luggage smacks of untidy luggage, and carelessness of a potentially deadly item

 

It is the same with many american shooters they donot realize guns and there ammo are not toys but deadly weapons.

2 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

Its pretty common for Americans to have a single bullet in their luggage if they are shooters. I have been stopped by TSA myself with one in Alaska, so it was no big deal, but it would be somewhere else.

I used to target shoot at a club in the UK with an air rifle. I still do occasionally. The slugs are much smaller than a bullet and therefore easier to misplace yet I've never ever had one find its way into my holiday luggage!

 

However it would be quite easy to slip a bullet into someone's luggage especially if there's a financial incentive to do so.

 

 

 

 

 

 

57 minutes ago, MeePeeMai said:

All luggage is x-rayed at the airports in the USA and any undeclared ammunition (which is not in it's original box or case as required under the TSA rules) would be spotted and flagged for inspection and removal, so I doubt that these are simply mistakes committed by the travelers themselves (more likely a scam or planted).

So you really think they are that efficient. I use to know one of the baggage screeners at CM airport. She spotted a handgun in atravellers luggage that had been thru Bangkok luggage inspection.

24 minutes ago, moe666 said:

It is the same with many american shooters they donot realize guns and there ammo are not toys but deadly weapons.

O we know, its just that we dont cower in fear over an inert round without a gun.

 

24 minutes ago, yogi100 said:

I used to target shoot at a club in the UK with an air rifle. I still do occasionally. The slugs are much smaller than a bullet and therefore easier to misplace yet I've never ever had one find its way into my holiday luggage!

Quite different putting one lead slug at a time into an air rifle than taking out an MP5 with 1000 rounds of ammo, yes?

 

25 minutes ago, yogi100 said:

However it would be quite easy to slip a bullet into someone's luggage especially if there's a financial incentive to do so.

Quite. But I doubt thats a big thing here. Or anywhere.