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 of the ammunition.
Represented by lawyer Peter Farge, he was remanded in custody until August 19th.
On Monday [Aug.1], police and customs officers descended on the ‘Artur’ sailboat at McCallan’s Wharf in St. George’s, removing numerous bags from the boat.
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Too bad!!! wasn’t even headed for here!!! should have just floated and called his “brethren” for assistance..I’m just curious as to why the boat was not searched the first day that he docked? Is this normal procedure? does anyone know the answer to this?
extradite him and be done with it..do we really need to go down the path of spending thousands to prosecute him when we can send him to his own country to face charges..besides he will probably get off…most cases as severe as this seem to be heading down that path anyway!
now how is he supposed to defend himself from pirates on the high seas when he heads back out?? where was he supposed to drop it off? c’mon!
Just wanted to share some education on when you travel via water.
The terms international waters or trans-boundary waters apply where any of the following types of bodies of water (or their drainage basins) transcend international boundaries: oceans, large marine ecosystems, enclosed or semi-enclosed regional seas and estuaries, rivers, lakes, groundwater systems aquifers), and wetlands.[1]
Oceans, seas, and waters outside of national jurisdiction are also referred to as the high seas or, in Latin, mare liberum (meaning free seas).
Ships sailing the high seas are generally under the jurisdiction of the flag state;[2] (if there is one) however, when a ship is involved in certain criminal acts, such as piracy,[3] any nation can exercise jurisdiction under the doctrine of universal jurisdiction (Wikipedia, 2011).
Poor guy…I hope the courts see the reality of this case and let him continue on his way.
If it was only the gun and ammo I would agree… BUT there is the little problem with the amount of drugs they have reportedly confiscated off of the boat.. If it wasn’t for the drugs he probably wouldn’t be facing charges at all.
What he should of done was declared it the second he arrived.
Ridiculous!!! give the guy back his gun and ammo and send him on his way.Why should we have to pay $80,000 per year to keep this guy here for 14 years (which is what he will get)when the drugs where never destined for our shores. Hope common sense will prevail in this particular case at least.
On the next episode of “Locked Up Abroad”…we see the lighter (and somewhat comical) side of prison life, where Janis finds paradise in the Bermuda Triangle
did they even mention what ‘drug’ he had on board, for all i know it could have been aspirin..as for the word ‘narcotic’- weed, coke, mdma, and most other ‘drugs’ are not narcotics per se as they do not deliver a narcotic effect…only heroin is the true narcotic
From a pharmacological standpoint it is not a useful term,[2] as is evidenced by the historically varied usage of the word.
“ Alcohol is the principle that gives to ardent spirit and wine their intoxicating power; while the narcotic principle to opium and tobacco imparts similar properties. In popular language, alcohol is classed among the stimulants; and opium and tobacco among the narcotics; which are substances whose ultimate effect upon the animal system is to produce torpor and insensibility; but taken in small quantities they at first exhilarate. And since alcohol does the same, most medical writers, at the present day, class it among the narcotics. ”
—Edward Hitchcock, American Temperance Society (1830
bun de jugs and send him whey!!!! $80,000/ yr to keep him. send him home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! children are starving and we wanna keep a foreigner in our jail. send him home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Interesting that they have charged him with possession of a firearm and not the stuff, “in de bags”. Maybe he was just transporting some flour back to Lativa. I hear it’s hard to some by in the eastern bloc.