Traveling with your gear

[talion]

Recently, as I was exiting the Dominican Republic, I had some vaping gear seized by customs. I had a full mod and liquids and such in my carry on, but I also had a pen vaper for convenience around the airport and customs spotted it and confiscated it. According to their new rules it is now against policy to have any e-cig materials either in checked luggage OR in your carry on. In effect, you are prohibited from carrying anything related to e-cigs out of the country on an airplane in any way. There was nothing prohibiting you from bringing anything in, however, and these proscriptions hadn't been advertised at all.

I questioned the customs guy about it and made him bring his supervisor out and they adamantly refused to let me take it (just an Ego-C and clearomizer) but the argument did get them to bring me out and show me the written ordinances. I offered to separate it out and leave the battery behind but they weren't having any of it. Fortunately, the customs guys didn't recognize any of the rest of my (far more expensive) stuff and I realized that continuing to argue with them might prompt another search that would result in the loss of my other stuff, so I let it go.

Now, I'm wondering whether other countries have similar rules and whether I need to take greater carer when traveling abroad in order to preserve my gear. I will be traveling to Asia in the near future and am trying to find info about this as it pertains to Japan, the philippines, Vietnam and Thailand.

Does anybody have any knowledge of prohibitions of this type anywhere else?

 

[Burn_notice_fan_NY]

The gear was seized by the airport I believe. I would check the airline regulations in addition to the country regulations and go from there. When you travel to another country, at least in my experience, you do not go through customs until you disembark from the plane and wait in the custom's line.

ETA: if the items were seized on at the actual customs, then it would be prohibited for you to enter the country with those items. If that was the case, I would print off the information of prohibited items from a .gov website and place this with your items to possibly avoid this situation in the future.

 

[aceman3330]

Far as I know, Japan, Phillipines, and Thailand are "no problem" yet as lonf as you follow the aviation regulations. Vietnam, I have no idea at all.
Anyway, welcome to the land of a thousand smiles.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Douggro]

I would be surprised that it was the DR's Customs that actually seized the gear. Far more likely is that it was their airport security service. The international standard for Customs and Immigration is that you and your luggage are checked on ENTRY into a country. Security services screen you and your baggage before flying for items that are prohibited to be carried on-board or checked in baggage. There are international agreements on stuff like certain types of batteries not being allowed in checked baggage because of fire risks.

 

[talion]

yes, you are correct and I misspoke. It is airport security that would not allow the passage of vaping gear either checked or unchecked onto the plane.

 

[JCinFLA]

I have some bad experiences myself with the airport security people in Puerto Plata, DR, as well as the Customs people there upon entry to the DR. When leaving, the airport security people literally take anything they want to from your luggage and put it in bins under the table that your carry-on was on when checked. They'll later, out of sight, go through what has been confiscated to take whatever they personally want to keep or resell.

As far as their Customs people - Most recently, right in front of me...they've taken 6 of the 2 dozen T-shirts I took down there to give to the village kids in Cabarete. On other trips down there...they've also taken kids' backpacks, sunglasses, new shoes, etc., etc. in quantity, and nothing could be done to stop them! Their security "guards", will simply turn around as your luggage is being checked, so they don't actually see the stuff being stolen!

So, I don't have any doubt why your vape gear was taken from you there! None at all. Just be really glad they didn't see the rest of it.

 

[R2sojr]

Recently, as I was exiting the Dominican Republic, I had some vaping gear seized by customs. I had a full mod and liquids and such in my carry on, but I also had a pen vaper for convenience around the airport and customs spotted it and confiscated it. According to their new rules it is now against policy to have any e-cig materials either in checked luggage OR in your carry on. In effect, you are prohibited from carrying anything related to e-cigs out of the country on an airplane in any way. There was nothing prohibiting you from bringing anything in, however, and these proscriptions hadn't been advertised at all.

I questioned the customs guy about it and made him bring his supervisor out and they adamantly refused to let me take it (just an Ego-C and clearomizer) but the argument did get them to bring me out and show me the written ordinances. I offered to separate it out and leave the battery behind but they weren't having any of it. Fortunately, the customs guys didn't recognize any of the rest of my (far more expensive) stuff and I realized that continuing to argue with them might prompt another search that would result in the loss of my other stuff, so I let it go.

Now, I'm wondering whether other countries have similar rules and whether I need to take greater carer when traveling abroad in order to preserve my gear. I will be traveling to Asia in the near future and am trying to find info about this as it pertains to Japan, the philippines, Vietnam and Thailand.

Does anybody have any knowledge of prohibitions of this type anywhere else?

I was there in November. They took 6 of my brand new 18650s that were in clear holders and seperate. They almost took my Sigelie 150tc but I pleaded and they let me take it.