My experience of going through UK custom with a RIF

[blobface]

Hello all, thought I would share my experience for those who have wondered about travelling with airsoft items into UK.

Recently got back from Hong Kong with a few things I bought, including a full steel GP30 AK grenade launcher. Since the values of the items weren't great and I didn't want to risk getting caught going through the green zone with something looking like that, I decided to call up previously to make sure, the man on the phone was friendly and said everything should be fine as long as I have a UKARA membership number and that I should definitely go through the red zone just in case.

I also had a genuine EoTech and a Trijicon scope on me, both of which I bought from the UK with receipts o tax wasn't an issue. I got there at just over 6 o'clock in the morning and went through the red zone as planned, just when I thought I was completely sorted, it had turn out that the two people on duty had no idea what UKARA or airsoft was, he asked me for a firearm license as he was not able to tell the difference between an airsoft replica to a real counterpart, he demanded to see paperwork, "a proper license" even though I've presented him with my UKARA number and proof of address to say that I am indeed the person registered to that number. After a good 20 minutes of frustrating conversations, he called up the relevant firearm experts on the phone about the issue, I also overheard that he claimed I did not have the correct license for these items, and he was especially suspicious about the EoTech as it says on the side "For Law Enforcement Use Only". He concluded that according to the firearms department, I was not allowed to have these items with me, so he proceeded to call the MET police to send a unit to verify the items in person, at this point I've already been standing for there for over an hour until the policemen had finally showed up, thankfully they have heard of airsoft and UKARA, looked through the items I had and said everything was fine, we even had a conversation about the EoTech they use on their mp5s and how they're different, so they were friendly and we had a good chat, I was left with a cool police slip and was allowed to go with everything without having to pay any duties.

I'm surprised that the custom have never heard of (let alone having) the UKARA database, but moral of the story is.. unless it's really worth it, don't bother going through custom with airsoft items, if you declare them, you could run into some potential troubles, but if you don't go through the red zone and you get caught... well, I can't even imagine how you'd be able to explain your way out.

Let me know if you've had other airsoft custom experience!

[JOE90]

Re: My experience of going through UK custom with a RIF

Back in the day i carried mp5 and m9 springers home in my hand luggage! I was about 10-11 and had them in my rucksack lol

[B.E.N.]

Re: My experience of going through UK custom with a RIF

Interesting, although I think we have to be fair on the Customs officials... Airsoft is a relatively tiny, niche hobby... I think they can be forgiven for not knowing exactly what it is...

[jonny lovegrove]

Re: My experience of going through UK custom with a RIF

Same as above, when i was younger i always used to buy €10 springers on holiday and bring them back, often in hand luggage, because theyre abou 90% plastic they rarely show up on xrays. I even bought a CYMA Mp5 back with me, wasnt stopped.

[jonny lovegrove]

Re: My experience of going through UK custom with a RIF

Interesting, although I think we have to be fair on the Customs officials... Airsoft is a relatively tiny, niche hobby... I think they can be forgiven for not knowing exactly what it is...

But even so, they should know all possibilities, they are after all one of the few who are trusted with the responsibility, or they should at least have a contact who does, Aka a supplier with database access, except out of hours. Maybe customs should be allowed access?

[B.E.N.]

Re: My experience of going through UK custom with a RIF

The thing is UKARA is far from official and isn't even legally set in stone. Given the amount of members too, it represents a tiny portion of any kind of firearms community.

Even with the UKARA database, the Customs official could well decide that they were not satisfied that the RIFs would be used in a law-abiding manner...

It's Customs I'm afraid, they are always going to have you over a barrel.

[richardy]

Re: My experience of going through UK custom with a RIF

customs dont have access to ukara they usually phone a site to confirm your an airsofter just giving them a number means nothing unfortunatly.

[woody549]

Re: My experience of going through UK custom with a RIF

The thing is UKARA is far from official and isn't even legally set in stone. Given the amount of members too, it represents a tiny portion of any kind of firearms community.

Even with the UKARA database, the Customs official could well decide that they were not satisfied that the RIFs would be used in a law-abiding manner...

It's Customs I'm afraid, they are always going to have you over a barrel.

Preferably over your AEG barrel

[jssmitty96]

Re: My experience of going through UK custom with a RIF

ive brought rif's back from the states many times only ever had one issue i nthat my name came over the tannoy i didnt report to the desk as i was busy stuffing it in burgerking :P nothing else was said i borded the plane got home fine no customs checks at all when i get back in from the states for some reason, probably because the us are so strict i got home got the gun out the case found tsa cards in all my luggage saying the bags had been searched and so on all looked fine looked like nothing had been touched then ............when disasemmbling my pistol i found a little peice of white metal stuck to the inner side of the handgrip like you get on cd's to set off the alarm if you steal them saying TSA on them so the gun had obviously been checked over and dissasembled so no ideawhat that was for. i also brough a genuine trijicon acog back through customs once this was purchased as a sell off from a us navy base they searched all my bags that time too and bashed the carry case to peices and chipped abit of the top of the acog wasnt best chuffed buy hey i got a amazing deal on it so not too bothered i nthat respect

[Beef]

Re: My experience of going through UK custom with a RIF

Came back from HK with 2 ak47s and a m16, one ak and uper reciever and barrel of the m16 in one suitcase the other ak and lower reciver and stock in the other suitcase, .

[The General]

Re: My experience of going through UK custom with a RIF

Slightly different but when I imported a RIF from Hong Kong, the Customs lady I spoke to on the phone knew all about airsoft and the legal position.

I had a nice chat about it and provided my skirmish evidence (which was checked). I am not a site member, nor do I have a UKARA number. Nor did I at the time.

I imported without a problem as I actually understand the law. Not the rubbish retailers want us to believe.

[Bluegill]

Re: My experience of going through UK custom with a RIF

What skirmish evidence did you supply General?

[The Laughing Man]

Re: My experience of going through UK custom with a RIF

To the OP. The conversation at customs you're talking about was customs in the UK right? Not the customs in HK?

[blobface]

Re: My experience of going through UK custom with a RIF

To the OP. The conversation at customs you're talking about was customs in the UK right? Not the customs in HK?

Yea the UK, airsoft is huge in Hong Kong even amongst policemen.

[blobface]

Re: My experience of going through UK custom with a RIF

May I stress that it is very easy to get through custom with airsoft items if you don't bother declaring them, it's just if you do get caught via random checking, you'd be screwed, hence why I didn't want to take the risk and called up previously before declaring them in the red zone.