FORMER US Navy seal Ryan Bates, who was detained after being found to be carrying empty ammunition magazines in his luggage at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, has been released on police bail, Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan said.

According to the police chief, Ryan is not allowed to leave the country as his investigation papers are with the attorney general’s chambers.

“He has been released on police bail but he cannot leave the country. We have submitted the investigation papers to the AGC and we await orders,” said Hussein when contacted.

KLIA district police chief, Imran Abd Rahman said Ryan was investigated under Section 8 of the Arms Act 1960.

Section 8 of the act carries a prison sentence of not more than seven years, a fine that is not more than RM10,000 or both upon conviction.

Malay Mail earlier reported that Ryan, 43, was stopped from flying home to Las Vegas for carrying empty ammunition magazines in his luggage.

He is said to have carried the items for use in the filming of a Netflix series titled Inside The World’s Toughest Forces in Malaysia about the country’s elite forces called Gerak Khas, news portal 3News reported today.

His wife Diana Dahlgren Bates has posted a video on her Instagram account pleading with the US Embassy for help.

Checks of Ryan’s Instagram account showed his last posts were a day ago when he posted a video saying he was detained at KLIA while the authorities were trying to figure out what he had in his bag.

In a follow-up video on Instagram Stories, he said that things were not looking good.

“If you don’t hear from me in a few days I’ll be stuck in a hole in some stupid place,” he said.

In a third video, Ryan was seen filming the three magazine clips he had with him being inspected by six officials in a room.

“They’re now figuring out what to do with me.(sigh). I’m never coming back to this country again,” he said. –  June July 1, 2023.