Posted on 11/01/2006 2:06:47 AM PST by CarrotAndStick
A month and a half after being arrested in Mumbai for carrying bullets in her rucksack, Noa Haviv is expected to gain back her freedom Monday after an Indian judge instructed authorities to return her passport.
She is expected to return to Israel in the coming days.
Haviv, a 28-year-old from Jerusalem, was arrested upon arrival to India on an El Al plane from Israel. A cartridge loaded with 16 9mm bullets was found in her bag, which belonged to her brother.
Haviv was released about a week later, but her passport was held by local authorities and she was forbidden to leave India. In the meantime she continued to travel throughout the country.
“This is a great feeling,” Noa’s mother Hagit told Ynet. “The most important thing is that the passport is being given back to us, and within two days, following a short bureaucratic procedure, we will be able to return home.
Haviv, a 28-year-old from Jerusalem, was arrested upon arrival to India on an El Al plane from Israel. A cartridge loaded with 16 9mm bullets was found in her bag, which belonged to her brother.
Haviv was released about a week later, but her passport was held by local authorities and she was forbidden to leave India. In the meantime she continued to travel throughout the country.
“This is a great feeling,” Noa’s mother Hagit told Ynet. “The most important thing is that the passport is being given back to us, and within two days, following a short bureaucratic procedure, we will be able to return home.
“We feel very relieved; we were so frightened and things appeared so gloomy in the past few days,” she said.
Hagit praised the woman judge, saying “She opened the hearing by saying that Noa should be treated as a tourist and not a criminal.
“We are now with our attorney and I assume we will go celebrate in a few hours,” she said.
Haviv was released about a week later, but her passport was held by local authorities and she was forbidden to leave India. In the meantime she continued to travel throughout the country.
YNet Talkback Reader feedback.
1. Bullets on El Al?
What was this woman doing with bullets in her bag, and how on earth did she get on an El Al plane? Something very fishy going on!
Darrien , UK (10.30.06) Recommend this talkback click here
2. Noa Haviv
She was only a victim of burocracy. Yhe law in India is administered literaly, with no room for exceptions.
leon , Grand Rapids USA (10.30.06) Recommend this talkback click here
3. Yeah, very nice, what was she doing with
a cartridge loaded with 16 9mm bullets in the first place? Anyone?
Just Wondering , Israel (10.30.06) Recommend this talkback click here
4. What is she doing in India?
(10.30.06) Recommend this talkback click here
5. Brother had been on reserve duty
Her brother had been on reserve duty and left the cartridge in his bag, probably in some side pocket. She used the bag for her trip to India without knowledge of the cartridge being there.
I dont know how El Al didnt find them as the bag should've been x-rayed, but as she's an Israeli she would've gone through a les thorough security check. The cartridge was discovered on her arrival to India. I'd say a wake-up call for El-Al, not that she would have posed a security risk on an El-Al flight, because El-Al security are trained to pick out "the people" and not "the bags", but this was an embarrassing incident that shouldnt have happened.
For all Israelis: Check your bags well after finishing reserve duty and expecially before taking them abroad!!!!
Nora , Israel (10.30.06) Recommend this talkback click here
6. India: Israeli gets passport back
Can we please get the correct terminology? A cartrige is a single bullet whereas the accused apparently had a whole magazine (bullet holder that fits on the weapon) filled with 16 bullets in the bag. Scary from the El Al security point !
Gabriel , Jerusalem (10.30.06)
Sounds like the Indians acted perfectly reasonably, both in detaining her and in releasing her so readily.
Very hard to imagine how Israeli security missed the mag. Been through there security and it is the best in the world.
If it was just a mistake on her part it could be due to the fact that every young women and young man in Israel carries a gun over their shoulder, so bullets would be in everyone's tote bags and she missed it when she packed.
Yeah, that is about as smart these days as saying 'bomb' or 'gun' in an airport...also equally harmless as soon as a search reveals nothing, but the chance can not be taken. And after the attacks India has suffered, I think they were more than reasonable.
If the situation was turned around and an Indian citizen turned out to have ammo on a plane to Israel, similar caution would understandably be taken.
These days, no one wants to underreact because the risks are just too great.
You're right on the money. Every hotel screens you when you enter and at the airport you are interviewed a few times before you get to the check in desk. Loved every minute of it and we plan to go back.
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