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Traveling to Jamaica? A MUST READ!

WaterWalker

Full Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2016
Messages
238
The yellow poster says it all.

I had made several trips with no problems. NO MORE.
This month’s trip was going well, fast flow more area, really nice improvements to Sangster International Airport (MBJ). It was big surprise to see so many bags opened for inspection at the new arrival Custom Inspection area. The agents were diligent in doing their job, very professional, polite and explained everything that was to happen. We had to empty one suitcase and put the banded/restricted metal detectors in the one suitcase. The other items from the one suitcase were put into other suitcases so all we had “DETAINED” were our metal detectors and the one suitcase. To retrieve the detained items we had to arrive an hour earlier for our flight home, a week later. We were allowed to put more items into the suitcase with the detectors prior to it being escorted to the ticket counter by two Custom Agents. There documents were signed, baggage check number noted and co-signed by the ticket agent. Back in the USA we collected our bags and headed home with a tale of travel that I just had to pass along. I was given information on who to contact to request a permit, but it would take a minimum of two weeks and probably would not be granted.
 

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That is utterly bizarre. Why would metal detectors be lumped in with a category of things like weapons, explosives, etc.... ? Since when is a metal detector somehow "dangerous" or a threat to anyone :?:
 
The locals probably complained about all the competition coming from abroad... :D
 
Welcome to the 3rd world. Items on the list are locally known as $income generators through fines, lawyers, shakedowns, and threats. All too common.
 
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Well thank you very much for the information as I was considering taking an armored vehicle there on my next cruise. You just saved me a lot of grief!
 
I suppose there is no law if the metal detector is IN the country already.
Another upside down rule in an upside down place.
Anyone bringing a detector is a tourist and will spend a lot of money in the local economy.. not anymore I guess
 
I bet a guy could FedEx one ahead to where a fellow would be staying...then ship it home when you leave...I doubt a guy would have any trouble with this method..?

Or...a business will start up in Jamaica renting detectors to traveling detectorists? That would be a nice little side business for somebody already there...:?:
 
More on Jamaica

There are NO detectors for sale/rental or a dealer in Jamaica...I tried to find one. The "reason" is not locals, but rather the archeologists it being part of the British Realm. And as I was told the beach, everything on, in, under it (that is not personal property) is part of the Queen's Bottom and Tho shall not touch the Queen's bottom! Very similar to our National Parks and property. All I can say I am not bringing my detector when I return next month. More time to spend with my wife.
 
I bet a guy could FedEx one ahead to where a fellow would be staying...then ship it home when you leave...I doubt a guy would have any trouble with this method..?

Or...a business will start up in Jamaica renting detectors to traveling detectorists? That would be a nice little side business for somebody already there...:?:

That might work BUT there may be Import Duties to pay or at least a lot of paper work to have processed.
 
That might work BUT there may be Import Duties to pay or at least a lot of paper work to have processed.

Well, it says nothing about scoops, and thats half the battle right there for successful water hunting, maybe more...so I'm just saying...theres gotta be a work around! Hell, box up a detector and on the manifest label it 'Golf Clubs!' :laughing:

As far as I'm concerned we are grandfathered in! Historically speaking, no 'Rule' or 'Law' ever kept Pirates out of Jamaica! Time and Gold wait for Nobody!
 
There are NO detectors for sale/rental or a dealer in Jamaica...I tried to find one. The "reason" is not locals, but rather the archeologists it being part of the British Realm. And as I was told the beach, everything on, in, under it (that is not personal property) is part of the Queen's Bottom and Tho shall not touch the Queen's bottom! Very similar to our National Parks and property. All I can say I am not bringing my detector when I return next month. More time to spend with my wife.



WW, thanks for the headsup. But with so many nicer islands to visit, why in the world would you vacation there? (unless you have family or business ties or something, of course). Especially now that you cant detect the beaches there? Vote with your tourist dollars!

(agree with the 3rd world shakedown cause that normx2 cited)




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WW, thanks for the headsup. But with so many nicer islands to visit, why in the world would you vacation there? (unless you have family or business ties or something, of course). Especially now that you cant detect the beaches there? Vote with your tourist dollars!

(agree with the 3rd world shakedown cause that normx2 cited)




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My friends who have gone there say its really nice as long as you never leave the all-inclusive resort. I've been there, and it was a 3rd world country. I have no desire to ever return. But at least I know if I'm on a another cruise that stops there, I wont bother trying to take my detector off the ship.
 
Yep, those that might want to test the water? Roll up your camo fabric baseball cap, get it through customs someway then put it on downtown and get ready to pull out your wallet...
 
The company my son works for awarded a trip to Jamaica as a prize for far exceeding sales goals. The resort where they stayed would not let them away from the resort without guards. They were escorted every where they went.

Not what I would call a nice place to visit.
 
There are NO detectors for sale/rental or a dealer in Jamaica...I tried to find one. The "reason" is not locals, but rather the archeologists it being part of the British Realm. And as I was told the beach, everything on, in, under it (that is not personal property) is part of the Queen's Bottom and Tho shall not touch the Queen's bottom! Very similar to our National Parks and property. All I can say I am not bringing my detector when I return next month. More time to spend with my wife.

This isn't making much sense. If it's ... as you say.... because of Purist British archie mentality . Because, go figure: Even in Britain, the same logic would apply : The "queen" owns all the resources under the ground . Eg.: treasure troves, oil-you-discover, etc.....

Yet you will notice that THERE'S NO SHORTAGE OF MD'RS IN BRITAIN. They simply hunt farmer's lands with permission. And ... sure .... if they find a trove, they're *supposed* to declare it, blah blah

And go figure: Even in the USA, there are laws that forbid "harvest" and "remove" from most every speck of public land (so that no one thinks he can take home the park benches, harvest the sod or sand, etc....). But does that ever get extended to individual coins ? No (unless you went in swatting hornet's nests asking permissions).

If it is, as you say, d/t purist archie concerns, then .... ask yourself: In the entire country of Jamaica, how many purist archies could possibly exist ?? 1 ? 2 ? 3 ? What put this on their plate as a "pressing issue" that they had to invent this rule for ? Do you really think they saw an md'r on the beach one day, and thought "Gee, let's make a rule" ? No. I'll bet you dollars to donuts that this was a "pressing question" (FAQ) that got passed up the chain to an archie's desk, over and over. By well-meaning skittish tourists who "wanted to make sure". And then .... sure as heck .... someone's going to pass back down a "no".

And then we md'rs sit around and say "durned those archies". When, in fact, a lot of times its our own durned selves that brought this upon ourselves. Who knows ? We might never know the origin of Jamaica. But ... in a 3rd world country like that , I can bet that your odds of running into a purist archie would be very very slim (unless you were poking around obvious historic monuments). So it just makes me very suspicious of how this ever got on the archie's plate, in the first place.
 
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