An Australian woman has shocked Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O Henderson after detailing how she was banned from entering the United States for ten years.
Kyle, 53, and Jackie, 49, were asking callers to spill the details on how they had been banned from various countries.
And caller Mel phoned in to recount a nightmare trip to the US where she had planned to go to visit her then-boyfriend.
Believing Mel may have had ulterior motives for her visit, she claimed US Customs and Border Protection officers seized her phone and began combing through messages to establish if the relationship was real.
‘What they actually did was take away my phone and went around the corner and then downloaded all of our messages and photos and stuff to their database.’ Mel told the radio hosts.
Kyle then chimed in saying customs officers in the US are within their rights to take such action admitting it had happened to ‘many’ of his friends as well.
He added: ‘ A lot of young girls also get caught up in that as well. If they see a young pretty girl travelling alone, the US Customs will assume she is a prostitute there to earn money and keep them.
‘They really put people through the wringer.’
An Australian woman has shocked Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O Henderson after detailing how she was banned from entering the United States for 10 years
Mel added that that customs officers even messaged her partner from her phone, pretending to be her.
‘So they pretended to be me, messaging the guy who was waiting for me outside, my boyfriend and pretty much saying, “Hey, babe, are we going to get married?”
‘And he’s on the other end waiting for me thinking: ‘Oh, this poor girl has just flown 13 hours to come see me, she’s obviously left her family and friends and she’s a little bit worried.
Believing that caller Mel may’ve had ulterior motives with her visit, she claimed that US Customs and Border Protection officers seized her phone and began combing through messages to establish if the relationship was real
Mel continued: ‘So he was like, Well, yeah, sure, baby, If everything works out well with our relationship, that’s sort of the pathway that we’re going to take.’
‘They were impersonating you?,’ a shocked Kyle asked.
Agreeing, Mel then revealed that she was interrogated by customs officers for 13 hours.
‘Then they took me to a little cell room, started interrogating me some more for, like, 13 hours, took my mug shot, fingerprints and I didn’t do anything wrong.
‘I think they just thought I had intent to migrate and elope with him, which wasn’t the case at all.’
Mel added that that customs offers even messaged her partner from her phone, pretending to be her
Mel then admitted that her quest for entry into the US was denied and she was actually banned from entry for ten years.
‘I’ve got 2.5 years more to go,’ Mel added before Jackie asked if the international incident ended the relationship.
‘He had to come chase me in Australia and live with me here for a bit, but it turned out to a shocking relationship,’ she laughed.
Kyle added: ‘Isn’t it weird, Melanie, that you You have a ten-year ban from something you didn’t even do wrong.’
Mel agreed, pointing out, ‘When they locked me up in the room, like the holding cell, I was probably sitting next to a real-life terrorist, you know, drug importers and little old me, an Australian who loves Australia and doesn’t want to leave.’
According to US Customs and Border Protection, officers are perfectly within their rights to conduct such action.
‘Travelers are obligated to present electronic devices and the information resident on the device in a condition that allows for the examination of the device and its contents,’ its Electronic Devices guidelines state.
‘Failure to assist CBP in accessing the electronic device and its contents for examination may result in the detention of the device in order to complete the inspection.’
It continues: ‘ If CBP determines that the detained device(s) is subject to seizure under law – for example, if the device or devices are subject to forfeiture or contain evidence of a crime, contraband, or other prohibited or restricted items or information – then you will be notified of the seizure as well as your options to contest the seizure through the local CBP Fines, Penalties, and Forfeitures Office.’
‘I think they just thought I had intent to migrate and elope with him, which wasn’t the case at all,’ Mel added
