Hashtag: #SmugglingDrugsViaSailboat
Latvian Drug Smuggler’s Appeal Dismissed
A Latvian sailor who was convicted two years ago of possessing almost $50 million worth of cocaine and sentenced to 25 years in prison had his appeal dismissed by the Court of Appeal. His appeal was against his conviction, and there was no appeal against the sentence. Janis Zegelis sailed to Bermuda from Trinidad and was arrested in August 2011, after... Read more of this article
Latvian Launches Appeal In $48M Cocaine Case
A Latvian sailor who was convicted two years ago of possessing almost $50 million worth of cocaine has launched an appeal today [Mar 12]. Janis Zegelis was previously sentenced to 25 years in prison, and his sailboat “Arturs” was confiscated by the Court. When he was sentenced in 2012, Judge Carlisle Greaves said he took into account the... Read more of this article
Latvian Sailor Sentenced To 25 Years In Prison
[Updated] A Latvian sailor who was convicted of possessing almost $50 million worth of cocaine, a gun and ammunition was sentenced to 25 years in prison today [June 12]. In addition, Janis Zegelis’ sailboat “Arturs” was confiscated by the Court. File photo of Mr Zegelis leaving Court: Judge Carlisle Greaves said he took into account... Read more of this article
Photos: Latvian Sailor’s $48 Million Drug Haul
Officials have released photos of the seized items after a Latvian sailor charged with being in possession of $48 million worth of cocaine, a gun and ammunition was found guilty yesterday [June 7]. 29-year-old Janis Zegelis sailed to Bermuda from Trinidad arriving in July 2011, and was arrested on August 1, after Customs officials searched his boat... Read more of this article
Latvian Sailor Guilty: $48 Million Cocaine Charge
A Latvian sailor charged with being in possession of $48 million worth of cocaine, a gun and ammunition was found guilty this afternoon [June 7], with the jury returning a unanimous verdict. 29-year-old Janis Zegelis sailed to Bermuda from Trinidad arriving on July 21, 2011, and was arrested on August 1, after Customs officials searched his boat while... Read more of this article
Defendant Had Gun To ‘Protect Himself’
A Latvian National alleged to have been in possession of almost $50 million worth of cocaine and a firearm had the gun for protection, the Supreme Court heard today [May 31]. 29-year-old Janis Zegelis sailed to Bermuda from Trinidad arriving on July 21, 2011, and was arrested on August 1, after Customs officials searched his boat while it was docked... Read more of this article
Court: $48 Million Cocaine Trial Continues
The $48 million worth of cocaine alleged to have been found on Janis Zegelis sailboat was divided into 165 plastic packages, the Supreme Court heard yesterday [May 30]. 28-year-old Janis Zegelis, a Latvian National, sailed to Bermuda from Trinidad on July 21, 2011, and was arrested on August 1, after Customs officials searched his boat while it was... Read more of this article
Latvian Sailor: $48 Million Cocaine Charge
The trial of a Latvian national accused of a number of firearm and drug offences is set to begin in Supreme Court this morning [May 28]. 28-year-old Janis Zegelis was arrested back in August 2011 after arriving in Bermuda on a sailboat, and charged with importing and also possessing a 9mm Beretta automatic pistol; importing and possessing 192 rounds... Read more of this article
“Carefree Four” Sentenced To 5 – 8½ Years
The voyage of the yacht “Carefree IV” which began in the Dominican Republic in 2010 ended in Supreme Court today [Mar.16] when four men were sentenced to 5 to 8.5 years in prison for attempting to smuggle more than $3 million worth of cannabis into the island. Earlier this week, four of the “Carefree Five” plead guilty to drug charges... Read more of this article
Four Plead Guilty: $3.4 Million Drug Case
This morning [Mar.12] in Supreme Court, four of the “Carefree Five” plead guilty to drug charges minutes before their trial was due to start. Carlos Rogers, Shaun Johnson, Kinola Simons and Bilal Shakir all pleaded guilty to possessing or handling a controlled drug, however pleaded not guilty to conspiring to import a controlled drug. The... Read more of this article
Importing Heroin: Not Guilty Plea
Four men, all charged with being involved in a conspiracy to import heroin, appeared at the first arraignment session of 2012 this morning [Jan.3]. All four pleaded not guilty. The charge was that between a date unknown and 2nd June 2011, they had conspired to import a quantity of heroin. The four were: Warwick resident Lorenzo Wayne Lottimore 32; Hamilton... Read more of this article
Latvian Denies Gun & Drug Charges
In this morning’s [Jan.3] Supreme Court Monthly Arraignments 28-year-old Latvian national and ocean sailor Janis Zegelis was charged with number of firearm and drug offences, and pleaded not guilty to all charges. He had been charged with importing and also possessing a 9mm Beretta automatic pistol; importing and possessing 192 rounds of 9mm ammunition;... Read more of this article
Latvian Sailor Faces Gun & Ammo Charges
This morning [Aug.5] a 28-year-old Latvian national appeared in Magistrates Court charged in connection with the recent seizure of a firearm and ammunition from a sailboat. Janis Zegelis was charged with importing a firearm into Bermuda without a license, possession of a 9mm firearm, importing 192 rounds of 9mm ammunition without a license and possession... Read more of this article
Sailboat Hoisted From Water After Drug Seizure
[Updated with video] The sailboat which was allegedly carrying a substantial amount of drugs plus a firearm was removed from the water today. Earlier this afternoon [Aug.3] a crane arrived at the east end dock and hoisted the sailboat out of the water, and it was placed on a truck in the presence of both police and customs officers and transported... Read more of this article
Gun & Ammunition Also Seized From SailBoat
The Bermuda Police confirmed today [Aug.2] that in addition to seizing a “substantial amount” of drugs from a sailboat yesterday, they also found a firearm and ammunition on the boat. Police said that the Latvian man they arrested had diverted to Bermuda after experiencing mechanical problems with his boat while traveling to Europe, and investigations... Read more of this article
“Sailboat With Substantial Narcotics Onboard”
[Updated] This afternoon [Aug.1] an eastern European national was arrested after his sailboat was found to have what the Police term a “substantial amount” of narcotics onboard. Customs are responsible for interdiction of drugs at our borders, and the Bermuda Police Service are on scene at the McCallan’s Wharf in St. George’s,... Read more of this article
