Tourists in Southeast Asia warned of illegal souvenirs

The warning comes after a Taiwanese national was briefly detained by police after buying illegal items on a street.

James Chou (周穎華), deputy director-general of the ministry's Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, told reporters at a regular news briefing yesterday that a Taiwanese national was arrested during a trip to a Southeast Asian country during the Lunar New Year holiday last month.

The Taiwanese bought an item from a vendor at a tourist site in the country. The person was not aware, however, that the purchased item was prohibited in that nation.

The tourist was later questioned and arrested by a law enforcement officer who happened to be conducting a spot check near the site, Chou said.

The tourist was detained until the foreign ministry offered assistance. MOFA has hired a lawyer to assist the person throughout the legal process.

The Taiwanese is still prohibited from leaving the country in question and is currently awaiting a court hearing, he added.

Citing privacy, Chou refused to disclose the tourist's gender or which country he or she traveled to.

He also refused to disclose the item the tourist purchased, saying that many things are considered prohibited in certain Southeast Asian countries, including endangered species and illicit drugs, such as marijuana.

In light of the incident, MOFA is warning local travelers to think twice before buying souvenirs from vendors on the street for fear of breaching local laws and facing legal issues in foreign lands, Chou added.

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March 6, 2013    Upwell@

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It's simply crazy and a waste of resources. Having raised such concern and put fear into those who travel obviously Mr. Chou should do one favor by being more specific. What for example is the sort of things we should be wary of and in what country. At least we can learn by example. Simply giving a very, very general statement about everything and then nothing serves no good purpose. Privacy it was cited as a reason for being "secretive". Well, who on this earth aperture from that species traveler and maybe those few friends of his or her, would know if Mr. Chou tells us of the exact item and the country. It's one of those press statements where nothing good comes out of it. We travel and of course all travelers want simply a good journey.

March 8, 2013    CURTISAKBAR@

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WELL SAID UPWELL, THE MESSAGE ABOUT DRUGS IS A BIT WEIRD AS ONLY IN A FEW COUNTRIES CAN YOU SMOKE A JOINT IN PEACE, OR SNIFF A LINE. VERY STRANGE THIS IS MENTIONED, SO I THINK THE ITEM MIGHT JUST BE DRUGS.

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