British hiker ‘gets death threats’ after being arrested at Indian airport for possessing common GPS gadget that is illegal in the country

A British woman detained by Indian authorities after unwittingly bringing a banned GPS device into the country has received death threats since posting about her arrest on social media.

Heather Mackins, 38, was arrested at the Indira Gandhi International Airport after security found a Garmin inReach, a satellite communications device, in her luggage.

Such devices are essential for backpackers but are illegal in India without a permit – and in a tearful Instagram post, the Yorkshire hiking blogger warned others not to make the same mistake she did.

MailOnline understands that Ms Mackins – who works as a lawyer – has received death threats from Indians in the days since she took up her post after allegedly breaking the law and fearing for her safety.

After being interrogated by Indian police at a local police station, the adventurer was released on the condition that she remain in the country for a subsequent court appearance.

Ms Mackins, who also leads organized walks, had written on social media before the trip that she would fly to Delhi before going “straight to the mountains… to rest and focus on my spiritual practice”. It was not the first time she visited the country.

On Saturday afternoon, she shared a post saying she wasn’t “acting like a victim” after social media posts claimed she was “playing the victim card” with her tearful video.

Her arrest on New Year’s Day came two days after Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) updated its travel advice, explicitly telling Britons not to travel to India with satellite communications equipment.

“It is illegal in India to own and use satellite phones without a permit,” the advisory reads.

‘British nationals have been arrested or detained for bringing satellite phones and other satellite navigation equipment into the country without prior consent. Contact the Indian Ministry of Telecommunications to apply for a license.’

Garmin inReach gadgets like Ms Mackins’ are pocket-sized devices that cost between £200 and £300.

They allow people to send and receive messages via satellites instead of a mobile phone connection.

However, the use of unlicensed satellite communications equipment is illegal in India under the 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, Ms Mackins had shared images of herself in Delhi, sitting in the back of a tuk-tuk and enjoying local delicacies.

Her message from the airport on January 1 was a stark contrast, with tears in her eyes as she warned: ‘Do not attempt 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 the law in India was now in her hands.

Ms Mackins also claimed that police denied her access to water while in detention.

In a detailed caption, Heather wrote, “Around 10:30 am I passed through security at Delhi airport intending to catch an internal flight to Rishikesh.

‘I innocently placed my Garmin inReach in the tray to go through the scanner, at which point I was promptly pulled aside by security and told to wait.’

Heather claimed that after a long wait, she was told the Garmin was illegal in India “and they were handing me over to the police.”

‘Eventually I was taken to the police station where I was questioned in a rather friendly manner and made to sign document after document.

“I did not take the ‘no comment’ position, foolishly or not, it is my nature to be honest, and after all there was absolutely no intention on my behalf,” 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 for a court appearance.

She added: “I am not the only person who has been affected by this law. That’s why I felt compelled to write this message.’

Although she claimed that the detention overwhelmed her, she hoped that sharing her story would help others avoid a similar fate.

“I don’t know what the outcome will be,” she said, adding, “I guess I’ll just have to wait.”

In a subsequent post, Ms Mackins revealed that she had traveled on to Rishikesh, some 150 miles from Delhi, and was still awaiting trial.

She said: ‘At no point did I act like a victim, the mistake of taking my Garmin was entirely my own.

“I just got so used to taking the inReach with me on all my adventures that I would throw it in my bag without a second thought and neglect to check if it was legal here,” added a “facepalm” emoji.

‘At no point did I blame the country, its people or its authorities, I merely warned others not to follow in my footsteps.

‘For those asking for an update, I have nothing to add beyond my previous posts and story updates. I am currently awaiting trial and am in regular contact with the police.’

On social media, a post shared several times claimed she had ‘started playing the victim card’ after being arrested – but many people who said they lived in India came to her defence.

“I don’t know what others think about this, but I think this 1933 law is outdated and needs to be changed,” one person said.

An FCDO spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘We are aware of the Briton who was detained at Delhi airport and are in contact with local authorities.’

Ms Mackin was 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 that mobile phones, for example, are not covered by the law.

The law was originally drafted to ban avoidance of radio licensing fees, but is now largely used to monitor the use of satellite phones following the deadly 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai.

More than 170 people were killed when Lashkar-e-Taiba extremists carried out a number of shooting and bombings in the city, coordinating their activities using 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 jail.

He said he was treated well during his ordeal but found it “frightening” and “very traumatic” to spend time in a communal cell with more dangerous prisoners.

It comes after a Canadian trail runner who took a months-long trip to India found herself in trouble with airport authorities in Goa after also bringing an inReach device into the country without permission.

Tina Lewis, who now lives in Colorado, had already visited several other Indian airports without incident 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, potential mountain adventures, and for use when there is no cell reception for safety as a solo female traveler,” Lewis wrote on two weeks ago Instagram.

“I was detained by the Airport Security (CISF) in Goa and escorted to 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,” she was released by a friend’s “lawyer connection at midnight.”

After “days in court,” her case was “finally cleared.”

The description of the device online is followed by a prominent message: ‘CAUTION: Some jurisdictions regulate or prohibit the use of satellite communications equipment.

‘It is the user’s responsibility to know and comply with all applicable laws in the jurisdictions where the device is intended to be used.’