My wife & I just returned from a nice hunt on the Eastern Cape RSA. I took 2 rifles & my customs forms were in order. One of the serial numbers on the Joburg Police form was missing one number. The young policewoman flatly stated " This rifle will not be leaving this airport". We used Henry Durham's Rifle Permits Inc. as our agent. We were out of the airport, with properly amended papers, in ten minutes. Without their assistance, who knows? No problems on our other flights once the mistake was rectified. IMO, spend the $ (its not a lot) and save yourself potential problems.

good to know. so who screwed up on the serial number?

If the paper work was wrong, didn't you fill it out?

Mike

A couple of years ago while arriving at Tambo, I had my completed SAPS form, but left off a leading zero of the S/N on my Sako. Glad I had Henry and Rifle Permits Inc. helping me out.
Money well spent!

The paperwork with the missing digit was on an RSA police form, I'd never seen it before nor was I provided a copy...

The same thing happened to me in April this year. The female police left a number out and it was caught by the security company on the domestic side for the domestic flight. He wanted $20 bucks to fix, big problem he said. I wonder if they are doing this on purpose to shake down hunters for cash?

quote:

Originally posted by impalaslayer:
...He wanted $20 bucks to fix, big problem he said. I wonder if they are doing this on purpose to shake down hunters for cash?

They wouldn't shake down hunters for cash. That's illegal.

Sounds like a new JNB scam to me. Please, anyone who has experienced this, report it to PHASA on their website, and let your PH know about it as well.

One more reason I now avoid flying through JNB. The chicken doo-doo just keeps getting deeper and deeper.

quote:

Originally posted by buffybr:

quote:

Originally posted by impalaslayer:
...He wanted $20 bucks to fix, big problem he said. I wonder if they are doing this on purpose to shake down hunters for cash?

They wouldn't shake down hunters for cash. That's illegal.

The coppers there are "red hot"

When you consider the total cost of your safari a few bucks for being VIP'ed right through the whole process in JHB is well worth it. I've been through O.R. Tambo several times and I still use a service. It's nice to be taken care of. I always recommend clients use a meet/greet/gun permit service and I've never had a client tell me they thought it was a waste of money. Upon arrival at a strange airport a friendly smiling face that's there to help you is very welcome by most folks.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
When you consider the total cost of your safari a few bucks for being VIP'ed right through the whole process in JHB is well worth it. I've been through O.R. Tambo several times and I still use a service. It's nice to be taken care of. I always recommend clients use a meet/greet/gun permit service and I've never had a client tell me they thought it was a waste of money. Upon arrival at a strange airport a friendly smiling face that's there to help you is very welcome by most folks.

Mark

I could not agree more. I'll use it every time.

For the $90.00 that Afton Guest house charges, I consider it money well spent. They meet and greet and walk you through the nonsense with SAPS. It's a breeze.

+1 for Henry and Rifle Permits, Inc. Well worth the money.

quote:

female

That about covers it.

I used Rifle Permits when I went. The clearing was a breeze, but our flight out of Dulles was about 7 hours delayed and connections missed. The rep from Rifle Permits helped us rearrange connecting flights and comped room on SAA. I don't know what we would've done without him.

About 7 years ago they tried doing the same thing to my buddy when we were coming back. I went in the SAPS office first and was good to go. My buddy went in next and didn't emerge. I went back in and was told they numbers didn't match up on the form (filled out to SAP). Obviously a shakedown (this was his 1st trip to SA).

I explained that is was not our error and we could gladly walk down the hall to get a police officer and address the situation or they could have the rifle if they wanted (a bluff of course).

The person working there (who I believe is not actually a police officer) changed their tune and asked me what I would do if I were them. I said since is was a mistake in the SAP office, and that my friend was visiting SA for the 1st time, it would not be strong incentive for him to come back if this mistake was an issue.

Needless to say 5 minutes later his paperwork was stamped on we were on our way home.

The exact same thing happened to my hunting partner in this airport in 2005. One number off in the serial number on the permit that the police official had filled out. Discovered when we were getting ready to board. A $20.00 bill fixed the problem in 5 minutes as they were walking down a stairway to see a supervisor. Looks like it has been going a while.

I made my first trip to South Africa in 2000. Back then I didn't have a computer, so I was unaware of the problems of flying to Africa with a firearm, nor did I know about the various Meet and Greet services.

Four of us went together on that trip, and fortunately, none of us had any problems with our rifles in JNB.

Five years later I made my second hunt in Africa. I still didn't have a computer, but my PH suggested that I use a Meet and Greet service. I think I used the one from Gracy Travel.

When I got off the plane at JNB, the M&G guy met me, we got my luggage, took me to the SAPS office where my gun permit was ready, and I was on my way. There were several other hunters in the SAPS office that didn't use a M&G service and they had been waiting over three hours to get their permits.

In 2007 I gave myself a retirement present of another South African hunt. On that trip I was to fly to Johannesburg, go through customs and SAPS, then catch another plane to Kimberly. I had decided to stay that night at Afton House and then fly to Kimberly the next morning. I also used Afton's M&G service on that trip.

All went fine on my arrival to JNB, but the next morning I was enjoying a leisurely breakfast when Annalise asked "Aren't you supposed to be at the airport?" I had mistakenly thought that I was supposed to leave Afton at 8:00 instead of that my plane was leaving JNB at 8:00.

They rushed me to the airport where their man Dave(?) met me, got me through the front of the check-in line, got my rifle checked in, and got me on the last bus to the plane. Without him I would have missed my flight to Kimberly.

At the conclusion of that trip, I checked my luggage then took my rifle back to another room to check it in. There was a big, fat black guy in uniform behind the counter who was talking with a skinny black guy, not in uniform.

I put my rifle case on the counter, opened it for the uniformed guy to inspect, then he checked the serial number on the rifle and permit, and I locked the rifle in the case and put it on the baggage cart.

I turned to leave, and the big guy said "Aren't you going to give my friend something for helping us?"

As I was just about to board an 18 hour flight to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, I said "Oh, yes I forgot" and gave his friend $2.

I knew that you are not supposed to tip or pay those guys, but I thought the $2 was cheap insurance that my custom .375 RUM would arrive in Atlanta on the same flight as I would.

The last time I went to Africa was in 2012. Again I used the M&G service from Gracy Travel. Their guy met me off the plane, took me to the head of the line at Immigration, I was the first person at baggage claim, and the first person to the SAPS office where my gun permit was waiting.

However, I was not the first hunter to clear the SAPS office as the rifle cases were slow to arrive there, and the SAPS officers were even slower to bring them in to be claimed. My PH met me there, and he eventually had to go into the back room and bring out my rifle case.

Had some problems with a licence that was incorrectly arranged by the Police for a frends rifle and had missing rifles last night.
AFTON GUEST HOUSE sorted it out.