British oil boss reveals how he was jailed in India after being caught with a satellite phone

Fergus MacLeod, who works for oil company Saudi Aramco, says he spent a week locked up in an Indian jail alongside "very serious" convicts after accidentally violated the strict rules of the country.

Fergus MacLeod, 62, is head of investor relations for Saudi Aramco - the world's largest oil exporter

A British oil executive has been jailed alongside hardened Indian criminals after he was arrested while on a yoga retreat in the Himalayas.

Saudi Aramco executive Fergus MacLeod accidentally broke Indian law by taking a satellite phone during his wellness break at Valley of Flowers National Park in Uttarakhand, a heritage site of India. 'UNESCO.

Authorities banned tourists from using the devices after the terrorists who killed 175 people in the 2008 Mumbai bombings used them to coordinate.

Foreigners must obtain permission from the state to be allowed to use the device in the country.

The 62-year-old was taken out of the quiet resort town on July 12 and thrown behind bars in the town of Chamoli.

MacLeod was on a yoga retreat at the Valley of Flowers National Park in the Himalayas (

Picture:

Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Mr. MacLeod was vacationing with friends - some of whom also worked for the world's largest oil exporter - and claimed his lawyers treated him well while in custody.

Cops rushed to his location after turning the phone on and off in his hotel room. He claims to have never used the illegal technology to talk to anyone.

The phone - which uses satellites to pick up signals opposed to earth towers like normal phones - revealed his coordinates, allowing authorities to track him down.

The head of investor relations, who has worked with the Saudi company since 2017, said he was unaware the phone - which he bought in the UK in 2017 - was...