"No drones allowed"! The crew was detained after boarding the ship at the Egyptian port! Remember: Check your destination’s customs regulations in advance

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With the development of technology, many crew members will also bring some new "high-tech" products on board to enrich their life on board, such as mobile phones, tablets and other electronic devices, including drones.

In addition to crew members, some ship management companies have also introduced drones to their ships, because these drones can not only be used to take photos and record life on board, but can also assist in inspecting the hull to view the outside that is difficult for crew members to access. Hull.

However, while enjoying high technology, you must also pay attention to the management regulations of the ship's arrival port.

Recently, a crew member was detained by the authorities at the port for carrying a drone on board a ship on the grounds that he was carrying "prohibited items."

Recently, according to local media reports in Egypt, a crew member, after confirming the exact date and location of boarding the ship, took his luggage and various certificates to the Port of Suez, Egypt, to prepare to board the ship.

However, when customs inspected his luggage, they discovered the drone he was carrying to take on board.

After confirming that the crew member did not obtain the corresponding permit issued by the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority, the local coast guard detained him in accordance with the law.

It was confirmed that the crew member had no intention of using the drone to commit a crime. Crew members said the drones they carry will be used for work-related tasks such as hull inspections and taking personal photos at sea. And it was not used by the crew during their stay in Egypt.

However, the Egyptian Coast Guard stated that even if the other party did not use the drone in Egypt and had no criminal intent, the fact that he owned a drone without the permission of the Egyptian authorities was considered a violation of Egyptian law. of.

Ultimately, after court proceedings, the crew member was fined 0 and had his drone confiscated.

At the same time, the crew member also missed the boarding time and failed to board the ship in time.

Egypt’s ‘Toughest’ Drone Laws

It is understood that Egypt enforces very strict drone laws. According to local laws, drones may not be imported, sold, manufactured, collected, possessed or used without a license issued by the relevant Egyptian Ministry of Defense, which also stipulates that general authorities, including individuals, companies and local administrative units, Private use or trade of drones is prohibited.

According to local law, if you are found to possess or use a drone privately in the country, you will face a fine of 5,000-50,000 Egyptian pounds or a prison sentence of 1-7 years.

Egypt strengthened its original drone bill in 2017, with the original intention of preventing terrorists from using micro-aerial vehicles to carry out terrorist attacks in the local area.

The Egyptian authorities believe that their strict restrictions and concerns about drones are correct, because there have indeed been several drone terrorist attacks recently.

◆On October 21, a Greek oil tanker was attacked by a drone from the Houthi armed group in the waters of Yemen. The oil tanker was forced to stop loading oil and leave the port to take refuge.

◆On November 15 this year, an oil tanker was hit by a bomb-carrying drone in the waters of Oman, killing two crew members.

Customs regulations vary from country to country

Crew members must check local regulations in advance

In general, ship agents should remind ship operators of any local restrictions that apply to seafarers in transit when embarking or disembarking to fly home.

However, whether you are a sailor or a general traveler, in order to avoid more trouble, you should check the relevant information of your destination before arriving in a strange country to confirm whether there are special local customs regulations.

Every country in the world has specific regulations regarding the import of goods from abroad. Although some items are subject to general controls, such as drugs, weapons, ammunition, explosives and hazardous substances, requirements vary from country to country, and some countries also have more specific import and export restrictions. like:

In order to prevent unnecessary pests or diseases from entering the country, New Zealand has strict regulations on equipment and food entering the country, and even requires used hiking boots to be declared as risk items.

In Norway, you need a special permit to bring potatoes into the country, regardless of the quantity.

Fiji Customs prohibits the import of switchblades and old clothes.

Italy bans toys other than wooden toys.

Absinthe is banned in Germany.

Portugal bans primary education books written not in Portuguese.

Switzerland allows the buying and selling of lottery tickets, but the importation of foreign lotteries is not allowed.

Iran bans the flow of fashion magazines.

To protect the country's bees, old beehives are not allowed in Canada.

…

In the case of the detained crew, Egyptian authorities are also tightening restrictions on other types of electronic equipment deemed "unusual" or whose properties are difficult to understand, especially if it appears to contain some type of radio emissions. device.

And even if the device in question is not prohibited by law, it may take the police some time (perhaps several hours) to investigate until they determine that the device is not prohibited.

remind:

This delay may cause the crew to miss the ship schedule and incur corresponding costs. Therefore, crew members and shipping companies are reminded to promptly check local import and export management regulations when the ship arrives at the port or arrange for crew members to board the ship in certain countries, and strictly abide by the regulations to avoid unnecessary trouble.