Disassembled Sten guns found in parcel

The package was registered as containing puzzles, books and clothes ...

A man was yesterday fined €388 (Lm166.52) for importing two disassembled submachine guns from America for his collection, 10 years ago.

Charles Camilleri, 41, from Nadur was found guilty of importing the disassembled weapons without a licence and failing to pay importation tax on the items in October 1998.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera heard that Mr Camilleri's wife, Tanya, had gone to the local post office to pick up a package sent from America by her brother Angelo Mizzi.

After being asked to open the package in the presence of a police officer at the post office, it resulted that it contained two disassembled Sten submachine guns, among other things.

Testifying, Mr Camilleri said he had been living in New York when he had ordered the parts but, due to a strike by the UBS shipping company, the parts had not arrived on time.

He therefore asked his brother-in-law to send them over because he was returning to Gozo. Mr Camilleri told the court he did not realise that there was any type of tax to be paid or a licence to obtain when he had asked Mr Mizzi to send over the parts.

Magistrate Scerri Herrera took into consideration the fact that the package was registered as containing puzzles, books and clothes but failed to mention the firearm parts. Mr Camilleri was found guilty of illegally importing the firearm parts and failing to pay the relative VAT on the items.