Anyone ever arrested abroad?

[Rexsupertramp]

I was just wondering rather anyone here has ever been arrested in a foreign country. ive heard all sorts of horror stories like in Mexico you could wait a number of years just to be arraigned. But then again ive heard that Like in Sweden the federal state prisons are just huge resort like farms out in the country and your free to come and go as you please.

 

[dirtbag]

Almost got taken to a Mexican jail by some crooked cops once. The guy I was with was Mexican so he sweet talked and bribed them and we got out of it. But needless to say I was terrified.

 

[wokofshame]

my best buddy spent a couple weeks in an ecuadorean jail at age 16, after he was caught drinking in a grave yard w/ some FARC guerillas who unbeknownst to him were packing a pistol and ungodly amounts of yay. he was an exchange student.
needless to say he was scared to death. he got beat up by inmates and guards.
only got out and didn't rot there because a US consulate official randomly happened to visit the jail and saw him.
the funny part in the tragic affair was that the local newspapers published headlines saying that he and the colombian guerillas were caught having sex with corpses. no lie.
he was forced to leave the town after his release because of this stuff.

 

[Rexsupertramp]

Yah like i was saying before my uncle got arrested in Sweden for doing some sort of International scam type of deal. It ended up being a federal crime 3 to 5 years jail time easy. He took it to trial and was ultimately proven guilty the Judge was a real asshole and told him they were going to send him to one of the worst Federal Prisons in the country. Long story short he was pretty scared.

Anyway a short bus ride later thou they dropped him off at a little Farm in the country were he was supposed to do farm work as punishment. Keep in mind this is what the Swedish Government considered to be a very harsh punishment. The place was no more then a little resort in the Swedish countryside. He had his own room apparently full furnished with a fire place and everything. He was pretty much allowed to come and go as he pleased. and he was allowed to have people over on the promises for dinner and BBQ's and all sorts of wild shit.

He ended up only staying there about a year or so cause the US embassy had the case thrown out. But he claims it was a really remarkable experience.

 

[veggieguy12]

I'm thinking that in a poor country, most beat-cops are just gonna want to get a couple bucks and see your "rich White Yankee ass" (in their view - in my mind) get out of their face and stop fucking up (or at least getting caught).
The main exception I can think of would be Muslim countries: Saudi Arabia and the whole Middle East/North Africa/Indonesia. China and Myanmar/Burma would be hard on political dissidents, Cuba I'd expect too; Malaysia has some strict laws and very tough penalties. (Anyone who remembers the first Bush administration might remember that kid caught doing graffiti on cars in Malaysia; he was caned like 20 lashes after his case caught un-due political spotlight and surely got him some relief. Any sizable amount of drugs is considered trafficking and warrants a death-sentence there. I think chewing gum is banned.)
I remember that the counterfeiter/impostor dude Frank Abagnale described prison in France as hellish dungeon, and with Europe I wouldn't think you'd have any American privelege, as you may with oft-visited Latin American nations. But just getting arrested? Depends on what the charges are, whether you really need to worry.

 

[outskirts]

Almost got taken to a Mexican jail by some crooked cops once. The guy I was with was Mexican so he sweet talked and bribed them and we got out of it. But needless to say I was terrified.

Oh I know that feeling! I was in a similar situation once.

 

[wizehop]

Always pay your bribes when abroad..half the time there dirt cheap anyhow. Saved my ass a couple times.

Any one here ever watch "banged up abroad", or "locked up abroad"? One of my fave shows, but here one on a guy who could have gotten off if he paid a few bucks, look what happened to him:

part 1



this one is also pretty awesome:


fuck Im getting hard just thinking about all these horror stories!

 

[stove]

Like anywhere, it depends on the crime and the country. Chewing gum, for example, is illegal in Singapore. Using drugs can be grounds for caning (yes, they beat you with a fucking cane. Guess what, it HURTS more than you can imagine). Generally the poorer the country, the easier it is to bribe your way out. ALWAYS bribe the first guy to catch you- the fees only go up from there.

Oh and the US Consulate can almost always be called to assist on your behalf (lawyers etc) if you've really fucked up.

 

[r3353]

One drunken Friday the 13th in Reykjavik i was picked up for a night. In the morning, they got an official translator to explain im being charged with a lot ov vandalism. Apparently 26 side view mirrors on cars got kicked off. 2 witness'(one being a cop) said they seen me do it along with 'others'. i was told that if the damage was below a certain kroner amount, i could work it off, otherwise i would have to sit. Not sure what it would be like to sit so many days, but turned out only a few citizens reported the damage. They did not offer a work Visa(which i wanted so i could stay longer), but after being fingerprinted for interpol, eventually the charges just disappeared. Extremely lucky on my part. im still not sure what happened, as i pressed the issue to get resolved, Guilty or Innocent, so if i were to be falsely accused in another country these charges would not be hanging.
i do not recommend breaking the laws in countries you are not a national(or ARE a national for that matter), but if you do get caught up in shit, be polite to the authorities. They are not playing around, its work for them. Contact the consulate as soon as possible. i know, it sucks callin on Big Brother to clean up your shit, but it IS a foreign land with foreign laws. They do look out for their own.
im not sure what its like in poor(er) countries, but my friends in Kiev asked me, "When the police stop you in America with alcohol(when under 21), how much do you pay them?" i nearly guffawed, as typically we would be detained if not arrested. Am i correct?
When abroad, keep on your toes. Its great to be away from home, but comes with responsibilities.
Good luck,
r