A British woman detained by Indian authorities after unknowingly bringing a banned GPS device into the country has received death threats since she posted about her arrest on social media.
Heather Mackins, 38, was arrested at Indira Gandhi International Airport after security found a Garmin inReach, a satellite communication device, in her luggage.
These devices are essential for backpackers, but are illegal in India without a licence, and in a tearful post on Instagram, the Yorkshire hiking blogger warned others not to make the same mistake she did.
MailOnline understands that in the days since she made her post, Ms Mackins, who works as a lawyer, has received death threats from Indians after allegedly breaking the law and fearing for her safety.
After being questioned by Indian police at a local police station, the adventure enthusiast was released on condition that she remain in the country for a later court appearance.
Ms Mackins, who also leads organized walks, had written on social media before the trip that she would fly to Delhi before heading “straight into the mountains… to rest and focus on my spiritual practice”. It was not the first time he visited the country.
On Saturday afternoon, she shared a post saying she wasn’t “acting like a victim” after social media posts claimed she “played the victim card” with her tearful video.
Hiker Heather Mackins has claimed she has been subject to death threats from Indians after she was arrested for entering the country with an illegal GPS device.
Heather took to Instagram to issue a warning to travelers after she was arrested and detained for carrying a GPS device in India.
His arrest on New Year’s Day came two days after the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) updated its travel advice explicitly telling Britons not to travel to India with mobile communication devices. satellite.
“It is illegal to own and operate satellite phones in India without a license,” the notice reads.
‘British citizens have been arrested or detained for bringing satellite phones and other satellite navigation devices into the country without prior authorisation. Contact the Department of Telecommunication of India to apply for a license.
Garmin inReach devices like those used by Mrs Mackins are pocket-sized devices that cost between £200 and £300.
They allow people to send and receive messages using satellites instead of a mobile phone connection.
However, the use of satellite communication devices is illegal without a license in India under its archaic Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1933, although this does not extend to the use of GPS devices for satellite navigation.
A day before her arrest, Mackins had shared images of her in Delhi riding on the back of a tuk-tuk and enjoying local delicacies.
His post from the airport on January 1 was a stark contrast, with tears in his eyes as he warned: “Do not try to travel to India with a Garmin inReach or any other satellite communicator, they are illegal here.”
In the clip, she said she even contacted the British embassy but was told there was little they could do as she was now in the hands of the law in India.
Mackins also claimed that police denied him access to water during his arrest.
In a detailed caption, Heather wrote: “Around 10.30am, I was going through security at Delhi airport intending to catch an internal flight to Rishikesh.
“I innocently placed my Garmin inReach on the tray to go through the scanner, and at that point security pulled me aside and told me to wait.”
Heather claimed that after being kept waiting for a long time, she was told that the Garmin was illegal in India “and that they were going to hand me over to the police.”
«Finally they took me to the police station, where they questioned me, in a rather friendly manner, and forced me to sign document after document.
“I did not take the ‘no comment’ stance, foolishly or not, it is my nature to be honest and after all, there was absolutely no intention on my part,” she added.
After spending several hours in police custody, Heather said she was released around 9 p.m., but was told she would have to return to appear in court.
The experienced hiker stated that during her arrest the police denied her access to water.
Heather was flying internally when airport security handed her over to the police for carrying a Garmin inReach device (left). British oil executive Fergus MacLeod (right) was arrested for carrying a satellite phone two years ago.
The Foreign Office’s travel advice for India was updated on December 30 to explicitly warn Britons not to bring unlicensed satellite communication devices into the country.
And he added: ‘I am not the only person who has been a victim of this law. Therefore, I felt compelled to write this post.’
Although she said the arrest overwhelmed her, she hoped sharing her story would help others avoid a similar fate.
“I don’t know what the outcome will be,” he said, adding, “I guess I’ll have to wait.”
In a later post, Ms Mackins revealed that she had traveled to Rishikesh, about 150 miles from Delhi, and was still awaiting her court date.
She said: ‘At no point did I act like a victim, the mistake of bringing my Garmin was entirely my own.
“I’ve just gotten so used to carrying the inReach on all my adventures that I put it in my bag without thinking and neglected to check that it was legal here,” adding a “facepalm” emoji.
‘At no time did I blame the country, the people or its authorities, I simply warned others not to follow in my footsteps.
“For those asking for an update, I have nothing to add outside of my previous posts and story updates, I am awaiting a court date at this time and am in frequent contact with the police.”
On social media, a post shared several times claimed that she had “started playing (the) victim card” after being arrested, but many people who claimed to live in India jumped to her defense.
“I don’t know (I don’t know) what others think about this, but I think this 1933 law is outdated and needs to be changed,” one said.
An FCDO spokesperson told MailOnline: “We are aware of the British national who was detained at Delhi airport and are in contact with local authorities.”
Ms Mackin has been contacted for further comment.
The Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1933 prohibits the possession of wireless telegraphy equipment at the discretion of the government, meaning it does not cover, for example, mobile phones.
The law was originally drafted to prohibit radio license fee evasion, but in modern times it is largely used to control the use of satellite phones following the deadly 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
More than 170 people were killed when Lashkar-e-Taiba extremists carried out a series of shooting and bomb attacks across the city, coordinating their activities using satellite phones.
Unlicensed satellite phones were banned in India following the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks (pictured: Taj Hotel on fire)
Terrorists, including Ajmal Kasab (pictured, who has since been executed), bombed and shot more than 170 people, coordinating their activities with satellite phones.
But Ms Mackins is not the first Briton to be arrested under the law.
In 2022, Saudi Aramco oil executive Fergus MacLeod was arrested after bringing a satellite phone into the country and spending a week in prison.
He said he had been treated well during his ordeal but found it “frightening” and “highly traumatic” to spend time in a community cell with more dangerous prisoners.
It comes after a Canadian trail runner enjoying a months-long trip to India found herself in trouble with Goa airport authorities after she also brought an inReach device into the country without permission.
Tina Lewis, who now lives in Colorado, had already passed through many other Indian airports without problems when she caught the attention of security in Goa.
“I brought my Garmin inReach device as I do on many of my international trips for camping, potential mountain adventures, and to use when there is no cell reception for safety as a solo female traveler,” Lewis wrote on Instagram two weeks ago.
‘I was detained at the airport security (CISF) in Goa and escorted to the Goa police post for investigation. I didn’t know a GPS device was illegal. It’s a law from 1933 (!!!).’
Lewis wrote that after “hours of investigation,” a friend’s “midnight lawyer connection” got her released on bond.
After “days of hearings,” his case was “finally cleared.”
The online device description is followed by a prominent message: ‘NOTICE: Some jurisdictions regulate or prohibit the use of satellite communications devices.
“It is the user’s responsibility to know and follow all applicable laws in the jurisdictions where the device is intended to be used.”