British tourist held in Turkish prison with coins he found snorkeling

seekerGH

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[FONT=&quot]A British father was arrested in front of his family at a Turkish airport after trying to bring home 13 historic bronze coins he found while snorkelling on holiday. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Toby Robyns, 52, was arrested at Bodrun airport on Turkey’s Aegean coast and could face up to five years in prison if convicted of trying to take artifacts out of the country. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Mr Robyns, an ambulance driver from Southwick, West Sussex, told police he had no idea it was against the law to take the coins. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"We were on a daily tour. When our boat stopped I took my goggles and dove into the water. There were broken ceramics in the sea. When I cleaned the sand off with my hand I saw the coins. I never thought that carrying them would be a crime,” he said, according to a Turkish police statement. [/FONT]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/british-tourist-held-turkish-prison-083906839.html
 

ROBOTCOP13

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Turkish prison is not good. A good reason to not leave your own country, state, hell your own neighborhood.

Pray for that guy.
 

Blak bart

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Oh boy !!! Poor guy. Should have mailed them fed ex !!
 

ROBOTCOP13

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Oh boy !!! Poor guy. Should have mailed them fed ex !!

They probably spy (xray) all packages over there. Would probably get him life for smuggling.

Stay home! At least don't visit 3rd world countries.
 

ecmjamsit

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I wouldn't visit that place, even if you paid me. I wouldn't buy one of their detectors either.
 

diver9

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Ever see the movie Midnight Express? He's in deep trouble even if they let him out after only a few months.
 

MPH200

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Sorry ... I couldn't help myself




 

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ROBOTCOP13

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Ever see the movie Midnight Express? He's in deep trouble even if they let him out after only a few months.

Right. I was trying to remember the name of that movie.

It sure made a big impression back in my impressionable years.

Probably what I subconsciously flash backed to when I saw this thread.

Scared straight I guess.
 

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seekerGH

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Aside from all of this rhetoric... it is well known the laws on theft of antiquities from these Countries.

If you visited Eqypt, and were in the desert and found a pile of coins, would you expect to simply fly out with them?

If you were diving in Florida, and found a pile of gold coins, would you expect to simply fly out with them in your luggage?
 

Blak bart

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Aside from all of this, it is well known the laws on theft of antiquities from these Countries. If you visited Eqypt, and were in the desert and founf a pile of coins, would you expect to simply fly out with them?

If you were diving in Florida, and found a pile of gold coins, would you expect to simply fly out with them in your luggage?

Yes.
 

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seekerGH

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and that is within the law?
What if they were from your claim?

Open season boyz.
 

Denniss

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Ever see the movie Midnight Express? He's in deep trouble even if they let him out after only a few months.

I worked on an oceanographic ship that traveled all over the world. We had a captain that would put it on the night before we were pulling into a foreign port. I hope the poor SOB manages to stay out of a Turkish prison one way or another
 

Blak bart

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and that is within the law?
What if they were from your claim?

Open season boyz.

No its not, and yes many things have been taken from our claim. We've even tracked down some of those pieces and got the story from the people that found them. Guess I should sue them right. Lol. Wonder how many coins got found during mini season. Wonder how many people use the lobster season for covert digging on the wreck sites. Oh well, ill never know. If you and I are having a nice frozen daquri with our feet in the sand, and we both see a spanish gold dabloon freshly uncovered from the last tide, are you saying we should leave it where it lay and walk away. If so then you leave first and ill be right behind you. This guy will play the dumb tourist thing and give the coins back and all will be forgotten. They got big problems like isis to worry about. Gosh I hope for his sake it goes like that.
 

lukdiver

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Turkish coins.

and that is within the law?
What if they were from your claim?

Open season boyz.

Spent 96 days detained in Indonesia on a expedition organized by the late Paul Martino to the 'Geldermelsen' 1754 Dutch East Indiaman. Found not quilty 2x and we 'left' the country before the 3rd trial where we were told we'd be found guilty. Foreign countries have very little sense of humor about their national antiquities. You guys are right: treasure hunt at home. Bob
 

huntsman53

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I would have told the family that I would meet them in Greece, then donned a pair of Vietnam era Black Pajamas, applied Combat Face Paint to my' face and any other skin showing, boarded an F470 CRRC late at night and scooted out of there.:laughing7:


Frank
 

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