A Latvian court has sentenced a truck driver to three years in prison for attempting to illegally smuggle 10,000 cartridges into Russia. The man hid the ammunition in a toolbox in his truck, claiming he was transporting them for shooting sports, but the court deemed his actions criminally punishable. This was reported by the Delfi portal, writes UNN.
Details
Last September, a Russian and Estonian citizen, a truck driver working for a Lithuanian logistics company, was detained at the Terehovo border crossing (Latvia). He was attempting to illegally smuggle 10,000 cartridges into Russia.
In response to Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, the European Union has banned the transfer or export of firearms, their parts, and essential components to Russia. Violation of this ban carries criminal liability.
Prosecutor Kaspars Kikuts stated that the man hid the firearm ammunition under the sleeping berth – in a toolbox, wrapped in a black package. He hoped to transport them across the border unnoticed.
Since September, Ruslan Motuzal has been held in the Central Prison, and he connected to the court hearing via video link. A state-provided interpreter translated the proceedings into Russian for him.
The accused has an incomplete secondary education, resides in the Russian city of Pechory, and was given a suspended sentence in Russia in 1995.
He claimed to the Latvian investigation that he was transporting the cartridges to Russia to engage in shooting sports.
In this case, no evidence has been obtained that the actions were ideologically motivated. The person himself is involved in shooting sports and claims that he was transporting ammunition to be able to practice it in Russia, as such cartridges are not available there.
When asked by journalists if this could be believed, he replied: "In this particular case, in my opinion, the volume of ammunition was sufficient to consider that it was not intended for sports or entertainment."
The accused did not deny that he tried to illegally smuggle cartridges into Russia. Ruslan Motuzal fully admitted his guilt.
The accused was sentenced to three years of imprisonment, with the time already spent in custody being credited.
The verdict has not yet entered into force, and after reviewing its full text, the parties will be able to appeal it. Until the verdict enters into force, the accused remains under the current preventive measure – detention.