A Canadian trail runner enjoying a months-long trip to India found herself in trouble with airport authorities in Goa after they detected an illegal item in her bag – a mini GPS device, forbidden under Indian law by legislation that’s nearly a century old.
![[Lewis brought her Garmin inReach Mini with her to ensure safety while running]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/18/22/93294247-14207135-image-a-26_1734560311825.jpg)
Tina Lewis, who now lives in Colorado, had already been through multiple other Indian airports without problem when she caught the attention of security in Goa. ‘I brought my Garmin inReach device as I do for many of my international trips for camping, possible mountain adventures, and to use when there is no cell reception for safety as a solo female traveler,’ Lewis wrote on Instagram this week.
![[Lewis said she was baffled by the decades-old law that didn't come up in the majority of airports in India]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/18/22/93293961-14207135-image-a-23_1734560091176.jpg)
‘To check in with family/friends. I was detained at airport security (CISF) in Goa and escorted to the Goan police outpost to be investigated. I was not aware a GPS device was illegal. It is a 1933 (!!!) law. According to the Indian wireless Telegraphy Act of 1933, possession of wireless telegraphy equipment without a proper license is prohibited.’.
The ban encompasses satellite technology, included in the Garmin inReach Mini device, described on the company’s site as a ‘go-to connection for maintaining off-the-grid contact. ‘It’s our palm-sized satellite communicator for adventures where size and weight matter. Need assistance? Send interactive SOS alerts anytime, globally,’ it continues.
