Two brit hams arrested as spies in Albania . . . have a look at their gear . . .

[6079smithw]

If these two are hams, would they not think of checking ahead of time to see if their gear was allowed in Albania?
Did they have licences to show the customs officers? Try to dodge questions? Lots missing here, however:
Describing oneself as 'specialising in electronic warfare' on social media lessens your chance to a balloon arch
welcome when going thru Customs in any country I know of.

As a lifelong fan of the late Paul Harvey, I'm waiting for "The Rest Of The Story" to all this...

 

[mmckenna]

It is important to note the photo used in the article is a stock Getty image used in a ton of unrelated news stories, so the Kenwood radios mean nothing. It's just a generic photo of some radios that some editor picked to satisfy the viewing public.

Who knows, they could have been carrying Mickey Mouse FRS radios from all we can tell. As said, there's a ton missing from this story.

 

[KN4EHX]

'James Bond mystery' as Brit radio fanatic's equipment seized by Albanian spies

Delivery driver, Colin McGowan, 46 spoke of his shock at having his radio gear seized after authorities grew suspicious of his kit as he tried to leave the country

www.google.com

And a similar account of two British women in Albania earlier this year. Seems like anything HF can get you in hot water in Albania. In short when traveling to former communist states or anywhere else that isn’t NATO friendly presently or in the past be very cautious about making your radio skills known. Also consider what industry you work in when traveling. Someone who is a radio nerd on top of being an IT or science professional would have a difficult time explaining why they needed a shortwave radio.

Yes, it is totally possible to use these for just recreational purposes, but in general it isn’t ideal to have to explain that to the men in black of a foreign country. This also includes some Caribbean nations. Lots of industrial espionage happening these days.

Spying devices – what was confiscated from 2 British tourists at Rinas Airport? - Euronews Albania

Rinas Police have confiscated several suspicious devices from 2 British women, who were trying to leave Albania from Rinas Airport. The two British citizens are engineers by profession and they had stayed in Albania for several days after trying to leave the border today with what seemed to like...

euronews.al

 

[MUTNAV]

I could have sworn that when in a different country you had to get permission to operate ham radios from it, or is this an EU associate thing?

Thanks
Joel

 

[PD47JD]

Spying in Albania? A country smaller than the State of Maryland? Where the population is fleeing to open restaurants and cigar shops here in CONUS? Read up on Albania on the State Dept. web site and on the CIA web site. My head spins at the thought of spying on anything in that god forsaken country. Yikes!

 

[PD47JD]

I could have sworn that when in a different country you had to get permission to operate ham radios from it, or is this an EU associate thing?

Thanks
Joel

You are correct in many, many countries that is so.

 

[mmckenna]

I could have sworn that when in a different country you had to get permission to operate ham radios from it, or is this an EU associate thing?

Some countries have agreements that honor amateur radio licenses from other countries. US/Canada has that. Many others do.
But a lot of countries do not. Some you would need to apply for an amateur license in the specific country you were visiting, some you would need to get written approval ahead of time. Some, you just don't try and you leave the hobby radios at home.

And then, there's countries and individuals that are just searching for a reason to harass people. If it wasn't the radio, they may have found something else. End result would probably be the same. I spent a brief amount of time in some formerly Soviet block countries, and it was not uncommon to run through hastily set up checkpoints where they'd shake down individuals. The only way to get through them was to give up some of your belongings, or put cash in the hands of the right "official".

 

[iowajm780]

Tons of hams use commercial gear. I only own one "ham" rig and its for APRS. Everything else I have is commercial gear. I mostly run APX gear but still have some XTL/XTS stuff floating around.

Moto all the way here. I just love my APX's and even the old XTS 2500 & 5000's work great. I have an old Kenwood TMV7A which is older than dirt but it still works and use it once and a while.

You don't use a Baofeng?. They are top notch radios!.

 

[KN4EHX]

And then, there's countries and individuals that are just searching for a reason to harass people. If it wasn't the radio, they may have found something else. End result would probably be the same. I spent a brief amount of time in some formerly Soviet block countries, and it was not uncommon to run through hastily set up checkpoints where they'd shake down individuals. The only way to get through them was to give up some of your belongings, or put cash in the hands of the right "official".

Corruption is among one of the biggest issues in Albania, the occasional Russian operatives who are interested in NATO activities, and human trafficking. Plenty of reasons for Albanian officials to get nervous about people with radios running around their country.

As you said, there is some places you just don’t take a radio. It would seem as if Albania is one of them. Cool places to visit, but leave the radios at home.

 

[mmckenna]

I would never take a radio while traveling outside Canada or the USA. I hesitate taking a laptop or cell phone….

 

[AK9R]

I could have sworn that when in a different country you had to get permission to operate ham radios from it, or is this an EU associate thing?

For operating in many European countries, there is a CEPT (European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations) agreement in place that allows some holders of non-Euro amateur radio licenses to operate in some CEPT countries subject to some very specific requirements. See: CEPT

 

[Lauri-CoyoteFrostbite]

.



We in the developed countries have no appreciation for what the majority of the world labours under. Here in the United States I am overly thankfully we still have our Constitution and the Bill of Rights.... and this is the case in many of the western countries that still have Due Process--- but no politics here.

I have traveled thru and lived in quite a few developing corners of the world - places where you don't want to stand out as the "Ameican," But even if you aren't the ugly western'r you don't want to draw attention to yourself in any way. One quite poignant example was a talk with a customs official in Kraapstan (any such country will do....) when my companion got into a discussion with him ----it went something like this:

"But I am not rich !"
"I am just an average American:

"Ah !, but Madame you are very rich !"
"You can afford to travel to my country-- I can not afford to visit your's, ever--"
"You are rich !"


There was an underlying degree of resentment lurking below the surface. Those two Brits might well have learned that lesson.

_____________________________________________

When traveling I adopted two ways of dealing with border/custom/military situations.
The first was to never stand out.... no bling, no expensive computers etc. etc.
- smile a lot--
...... and a pro-offered gratuity after clearing 'customs' really goes a long way at an obscure border crossing station (this has gotten me personal armed escorts to my hotel.)
That kind'a stuff is just common sense


But this second example is 180 degrees different--
When traveling officially under a different passport**, I did the opposite.
'Customs' dealt with a prima donna-- a Spanish Doña ....one who (could over act) her social position; She took no guff from anyone--- and always in the end was very liberal with the 'gratuity's' (she never, btw, paid them directly herself, but were given thru male associates.)

_________________________________________

This may not seem fair, but Guys, its their country---- you play by their rules!



I have a little story of a border crossing that went slightly sour, but this is enuff for now ---I'll save it for later.



Lauri



_____________________________________________________

** those in the know will recognize the difference instantly



.

 

[iMONITOR]

Additional spy gear seized!

 

[KN4EHX]

Additional spy gear seized!

View attachment 125222

Something real suspicious about Hello Kitty. Must be up to something!

 

[paulears]

I've re-read this topic and a few things leap out. I have some of these Kenwood radios in my hire stock and a few brand new ones for spares. I'm also a ham, and have to say that if I was going on holiday to ANY country to do some ham radio stuff, then they are a ridiculous choice. If you go to a foreign country and want to use their repeaters, then something that can do ham stuff is vital - ham stuff? I mean turn a knob, or type in a frequency, then a split, then a CTCSS tone, and stick a name in. This Kenwoods can do that with a laptop. Not from the radio. If two people go, you could take two radios, so they can talk to each other. Taking more than one each is very, very strange. So what do we have? Two Brits taking some identical Digital encrypted radios into a communist country not known for being very radio friendly - it isn't that many year before when they jammed BBC Radio 1's broadcast frequency so their citizens couldn't listen to the West. It seems a 100% stupid thing to do. I don't think Albania issue reciprocal licences? Do they?

What did these guys think they were doing?

 

[Lauri-CoyoteFrostbite]

Additional spy gear seized!

Semi laughing

What a wondr'ful way to disguise a Sat 'fone (and end up with a free all expenses paid 10 year holiday in a labour work camp )


.

 

[Lauri-CoyoteFrostbite]

A Border Crossing

I was blessed with a varied, colourful career (tho I am mercifully retired now) - that placed me into some interesting places.
.... And--
For some time I was posted to a Latin American country as a "Technical Advisor."

I had a glorious time !

My host country liked Americans and I was afforded every courtesy and privilege - including a amateur radio license---
A country next door wasn't all warm and fuzzy towards the US however, nor to their neighbor, my host, for that matter-- and both countries kept hostile armed presences on their borders.

Even though there was a marked suspicion about me and my associates by 'neighboring country,' we would often drive to the border, park and walk across to the shops and popular restaurants just on the other side.

Every thing was copacetic, that is, until I needed to renew my Visa for 'neighboring country' (NC.)
In retrospect I should have done it while I was visiting NC, but instead I went down my street to their consulate.
A "Colonel" such-an-such (they are all colonels down there) put a new stamp in my passport and signed my visa.

____________________________________

All was well, until a group of us were returning from a visit to NC ---

"Señora, your passport ---it's not in order"

What ??

Thus began a 'fun' afternoon.
To my companions (safely walking across the border) "call the Embassy and our Agency !"

For the remainder of the day I saw a parade of Uniforms, all questioning me what was my connection to this consulate's Colonel Such-and Such.
The Uniforms treated me civilly, but it was plain I was in serious trouble.

So I sat

Finally, as the sun was setting a young officer whom I hadn't seen before, resplendent in a flashy uniform approached me.

"You are free to leave Señora"

Huh !!??

"I will issue you a new visa (for $$) and you may leave"

_____________________________


As I walked across the border I half expected a bullet in my back---

"She was a spy-----she tried to escape"

_____________________________

Turns out the fellow at the consulate *Was!* a 'spy' and he defect'd shortly before my visit to "NC.'
I was guilty by association,

............said the people at the US Embassy who saved my sorry rear end----

"You were very lucky Lauri"
"You were in more serious truble than you can imagine"

----------Some things are better learned afterwards




.



.

 

[6079smithw]

What a wondr'ful way to disguise a Sat 'fone (and end up with a free all expenses paid 10 year holiday in a labour work camp )

I'm eternally glad I always left my Official Captain Midnight Secret Squadron Decoder Badge at home when I traveled overseas...
probably would still be carding Yak wool in some remote corner of Coldlandia to this day had I not...

Seriously though, when you travel to another country, play by their rules and stay safe.

 

[KevinC]

I crossed the state line once and no one cared.

And sorry for no sexy image of some random female lifted from the web.

 

[MUTNAV]

I've re-read this topic and a few things leap out. I have some of these Kenwood radios in my hire stock and a few brand new ones for spares. I'm also a ham, and have to say that if I was going on holiday to ANY country to do some ham radio stuff, then they are a ridiculous choice. If you go to a foreign country and want to use their repeaters, then something that can do ham stuff is vital - ham stuff? I mean turn a knob, or type in a frequency, then a split, then a CTCSS tone, and stick a name in. This Kenwoods can do that with a laptop. Not from the radio. If two people go, you could take two radios, so they can talk to each other. Taking more than one each is very, very strange. So what do we have? Two Brits taking some identical Digital encrypted radios into a communist country not known for being very radio friendly - it isn't that many year before when they jammed BBC Radio 1's broadcast frequency so their citizens couldn't listen to the West. It seems a 100% stupid thing to do. I don't think Albania issue reciprocal licences? Do they?

What did these guys think they were doing?

Thats kind of what I was wondering, did they do any checking on licensur and requirements?

The kenwood H.T.s were just stock photos showing they were talking about radios, I think.


Thanks
Joel