A fifth American visitor is apprehended in Turks and Caicos islands for possession of ammunition.
In the past few months, there have been five arrests of US nationals in the British Overseas Territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands, located in the tropical Atlantic Ocean southeast of the Bahamas, for alleged possession of ammunition. The latest case involves Sharitta Shinese Grier, a 45-year-old woman from Orlando, Florida, who was charged with one count of ammunition possession after a security check at the Howard Hamilton International Airport on Providenciales on May 13. The airport staff found that Grier had ammunition in her possession.
Grier appeared in court on Thursday and is currently in custody until her next hearing on July 5. CNN has not been able to find out whether she has hired a lawyer or contacted her family for comment.
Prior to Grier's arrest, four other US nationals were charged with ammunition-related offenses earlier this month. All four of them brought different amounts of ammunition into the Islands, with some claiming they did it unintentionally.
Importing firearms and ammunition, even stray bullets, is strictly forbidden in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The penalties for doing so range from a minimum of 12 years in prison, as stated by the US Embassy in the Bahamas in an advisory from April, to the option of judges to lower the sentence and adjust fines in "exceptional circumstances," as confirmed by the Turks and Caicos Attorney General on May 8.
One of the detainees, Bryan Hagerich, is set to be sentenced on May 29. He pleaded guilty to having 20 rounds of ammunition and was apprehended at the Hamilton International Airport in February.
In the face of these incidents, three US governors – Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, and Glenn Youngkin of Virginia – signed a letter to Turks and Caicos Gov. Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam requesting that the allegations against three of their countrymen be reconsidered and that they be released swiftly. The governors wrote that "they have all maintained that they did not intend to bring ammunition into Turks and Caicos" and asked "that your government – in its wisdom – temper justice with mercy and recognize that these men made mistakes but had no apparent malicious intent."
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Given the strict laws against importing firearms and ammunition in the Turks and Caicos Islands, some US travelers might want to double-check their luggage before their journey to avoid any unwanted incidents. With the recent arrests of several US nationals for ammunition possession, it's essential for travelers to be aware of the local regulations to ensure a smooth vacation.
Source: edition.cnn.com
