Expat walks free despite importing 3 unlicensed guns
(CNS): Prosecutors have dropped the case against Anton Parygin (45), a Canadian-Israeli-Russian citizen who arrived in the Cayman Islands in early 2022 with three unlicensed guns, despite being told by the police that he could not lawfully bring the weapons here until he had secured licences. In court on Friday, the crown officially stopped the case a month after a judge found that he had brought the weapons into the country under a section of the law which is designed for transient travellers but does not exclude residents.
Parygin, an IT worker employed by a company registered with Cayman Enterprise City, brought a 12-gauge shotgun, a semi-automatic rifle and a 9mm semi-automatic handgun with him when he moved here for the job. There was no indication during a legal hearing last month why Parygin wanted to bring the collection of weapons here.
When he arrived at Owen Roberts International Airport, he presented the weapons to customs officers, who arrested him on suspicion of importation and possession of an unlicensed firearm. Parygin denied the charges. When his case opened last month, defence attorneys Ben Tonner KC and James Stenning argued that there was no case against their client because he had followed the law.
Following several hours of legal submissions from the defence and the crown, Justice Marlene Carter found in favour of Tonner’s position that the law allowed Parygin to travel with the weapons because he had declared the guns and handed them to customs officers as soon as he arrived here, giving him the opportunity to apply for a licence.
After delivering her ruling, Justice Carter advised the crown to give proper consideration to continuing the prosecution. Initially, they sought to proceed, but on Friday, Assistant Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Scott Wainwright told the court that the case had been reconsidered; a nolle prosequi (notice to abandon the prosecution) was entered, and the charges were dropped.
Wainwright said the DPP had reviewed the matter and decided it should not proceed. The judge then dismissed the case and released Parygin from his bail conditions, including returning a $30,000 cash bond used to secure his bail.
The weapons that Parygin brought with him are still in the custody of the CBC, but the court did not order that they be destroyed and told Parygin’s legal team to contact customs directly about the return of the guns, which at this point are still unlicensed. To get them back, Parygin will need to obtain a gun licence or special permission from the police commissioner; otherwise, he must leave Cayman before the end of a time period prescribed by the CBC, which could be up to a year.
- Fascinated
- Happy
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- Bored
- Afraid
Legal amendments needed and work permit operations need to have policies to avoid this situation in the first place, and to resolve this. The items should have been transferred back to the USA already.
Why Caymanians are for this man that brings 3 guns in to Cayman ?. What was his reason for needing 3 guns ? Must be a reason why he wanted 3 gun’s in Cayman.And that reason could be not good for Cayman ??.
If only all the many customs and police officers including their respective bosses knew the law or even someone they could call for help with looking it up.
Solution is simple. Amend the law as follows: Careless Possession of Guns and Ammunition: (1) Any person entering the Cayman Islands or its surrounding waters in possession of an unlicensed firearm(s) and or live ammunition because of mistake of fact or law, carelessness, inattentiveness, or inadvertentance, will be considered to be in “Careless Possession of a Firearm.” (2) Any person who violates this section shall be subject to a civil cost of up to $500. (3) The ammunition and or firearm(s) shall be confiscated and not returned to the individual. (4) This section applies to: a. Persons entitled to possess the firearm(s) and or ammunition in their state, province and or country of origin. b. Shotguns and or ammunition .10 gauge or smaller, pistols and or ammunition .45 caliber or smaller and rifles and or ammunition smaller than .50 caliber. (5) This section shall not apply to any subsequent Careless Possession of a Firearm occurring after the first infraction. (6) Ammunition includes spent shell casings. (7) Replica ammunition jewelry that was never manufactured as ammunition is not included in the definition of “firearm.”
The transient possession license application section of the law is repealed, language needs to be wordsmithed by legislative drafters.
One bite at the apple. Second infraction, jail time up to 10 years. The proposal takes care of those who genuinely make a mistake. Firearms are popular with tourists from the U.S. particularly (393 million firearms in U.S.) and they often make mistakes inadvertently leaving shell casings, bullets, and firearms in packed or carry on luggage previously used to contain firearms or ammunition. So, these people, who are important to Cayman tourism, would get one excusable, non-criminal error, with a $500 fine, the next time, they go to jail.
Spy vs Spy – by that I mean he has Canadian-Israeli-Russian citizenships! 👀
Plus: “Parygin, an IT worker employed by a company registered with Cayman Enterprise City…” – is the company an intelligence agency of some sort? Are they combat ready?? Because this guy was ready for action!*
🛄 🛃 📵 Also, while Customs was for sure on high alert dealing with this incident at the airport, did anything else slip by in the confusion & chaos once all the CBC agents were aware of the guns being so openly announced…🤔 Subterfuge works…and it could have in this case.
Destroy the guns I say!
*’The gun is not a mere tool, a bit of technology, a political issue, a point of debate. It is an object of reverence. Devotion to it precludes interruption with the sacrifices it entails. Like most gods, it does what it will, and cannot be questioned. Its acolytes think it is capable only of good things. It guarantees life and safety and freedom. It even guarantees law. Law grows from it. Then how can law question it?’
Did he come here from Canada?
If so Canada has very strict gun laws, especially for restricted guns (handguns).
He would have had to apply for Authorization to Transport. ATT. Did he?
The gun must be in a locked case and further disabled by way of a trigger lock. Was it?
He would have had to notify the RCMP that he was moving. Did he?
I am sure our esteemed DPP/RCIP looked into these issues. 🤡
It’s not their job to enforce Canadian law.
It’s called international cooperation. Really not that complicated.
Why is he bringing 3 guns in to the Cayman Islands, in the first place?
Will anyone see that he takes them with him when he is leaving the island,or will he give or sell them to someone who lives on the island?
Some people do have a hobby that involves firearms you know.
Looking at the crime going on, I’d have a wild guess and say for his protection. And rightly so
Now, if RCIPS destroys his weapons or if they refuse to grant him licenses for these guns, he will have grounds to sue CIG!
Morons write our laws, morons enforce them and morons try to prosecute them!
And they are the Morons Caymanians elected. The electorate is the base issue – all else follows from whom you elect!
No a says, the Caymanian morons who restrict the gene pool to allow only a tiny number of Caymanian residents to run for elected office is the problem.
So, if a Caymanian purchases guns legally in the US. Brings them home on KX – but hands them over immediately – can they then be bailed, have weapons returned and then be automatically invited into the local gun club for practice? Or, do I need to bleach myself WYT first?
Not the same, and the tongue in cheek bigotry is not called for. His firearms were licensed in another jurisdiction. Not quite the same as you buying guns at a flee market or gun show in the USA and bringing them back to Cayman.
Either way if you somehow convinced authorities they were licensed they’d be impounded until you were successfully granted a licence.
You do understand that he currently doesn’t have possession of the firearms he imported?
Try reading and comprehending – I said bought LEGALLY in the US. Which clearly means I would have to have the means to get one.
Your thought that I would have to get one from a flea* market (check your spelling) or gun show – in fact shows me you are the one with bigoted ideas and not me. LoL!
Again, I said what I said – if Caymanians can’t have the rights to do this in Cayman aka OUR HOMELAND ISLANDS – then no Johnny come lately should be allowed to either. It really is that simple.
Instead of throwing resources at a case like this, rather focus on preventing all of the illegal importation of guns under cover of night from Jamaica that are used in the local robberies and shootings.
guns are OK but try bringing an ounce of ganja? Off to jail you go! Blessed are the violent people.
Yea, but bringing in pot is illegal also. I can’t reconcile any logic for doing illegal activities. Your intent is simply wrong and a huge part of the problem in Cayman: Some illegal activities are wrong, others are…well… OK. NO they are not!
Why because he’s white and only black people are from Jamaica? The guns were brought in illegally and the appropriate steps should have implemented to ensure this guy doesn’t get away on a technicality.
It’s not a technicality if the language is poorly conceived but clear as day on a plain reading.
I want to preface this by saying I am a FULL BRED Caymanian.
How can we be angry at this man or at his attorney for doing his job? There is no double standard in this case. Who we need to be angry at are our politicians that allow these laws to collect dust and put us in a situation like this one. We need to hold them accountable and demand to know WHY this could have ever happened?
We need to be angry at the clowns who call themselves lawyers at the DPP.
Why can’t non criminals have protection for their families? Not like the police are good for anything.
Is the governor going to give up her armed guards?
Defund the DPP!!
As poorly written as the law is, there is no loophole. A traveler is not a resident and if you have employment here you are not a traveler. The judges in Cayman are astonishingly inept. Hopefully he does not receive a license to possess the firearms, as Parygin has already demonstrated he lacks the necessary wherewithal. And more to the point, who is Parygin, what is he doing here and why does he need three firearms? The biggest questions have gone unasked and unanswered.
Looks like he knew better than customs, the police and the DPP.
…No loophole? Obviously you have not read the material. Go back to your sandchute.
Read the law! Please, please don’t post a comment if you have not read the pertinent material. Sheesh, the lack of intellect here…
Fronting a company at SEZC. A lot of suspicious people from suspicious parts of the world sitting in those offices with very little to do and absolutely zero oversight.
You state that a traveller is not a resident, but you have not looked at the law. If you had you would have seen that for the purpose of the law a traveller is defined as “any person who arrives in the islands…as a passenger….on a vessel or aircraft.” It does not exclude residents. So if we don’t want travelers to be able to bring and declare guns, then the law needs to be changed.
There is a problem across government of interpretation of laws to suit the government, and not as written. Most would agree that the law should not allow residents to bring guns here, even if they do declare them, but that is NOT what the law currently says.
So, if someone arrives in Cayman Islands with a kilo of cocaine, declares it to Customs, they’re to proceed with drugs? Of course not.
So, Anonymous at 11:46 am it is not the mere act of declaring the items that made this man go free, something else went wrong.
DPP looking bad: doesn’t the Department have a reasonable estimation if something will stand up in Court before taking it there?
Try actually reading the law. It specifically allows for the declaration and surrender of firearms on arrival. Not surprisingly, there is no equivalent for illegal drugs. The something that went wrong was that the DPP didn’t know or read the law.
On arrival or ahead of arrival?
Easier said than done for most posters on this thread. Maybe if someone made a Tiktok video about the law most silly posters might get it. Reading is one thing comprehension is much more difficult.
Can he sue for this?
The man is a resident for crying out loud. The customs forms are written the way they are for people in transit like visiting boats, air Marshall’s, armed forces etc… none of which this ass is.
Might be the intention – but again, as the judge pointed out, it does not specifically exclude residents. By surrendering the weapons immediately on arrival into Customs custody there was at least the potential for him to obtain a license and get them released, or alternatively leave and take them with them. Weapons don’t enter the jurisdiction under his custody until he has a license. No practical difference from him applying to import them after he had obtained a license. What you want the law to say and what it says are subtleties that you would think the DPP would understand – the judge clearly did.
The law is the problem, not what the individual did. Most armchair typists here have no clue to understand the issues. As typical for Cayman; those that have a better understanding of laws and allowable matters will run over the best and brightest of CIG (which is not hard). You want a better system, stop electing idiots!
This really was a screw up by the authorities. The chance of licenses being granted is slim to none. So the “importer” will simply need to take the guns back to where they came from in the same way they arrived. In luggage would be my guess.
The same will apply to anyone doing the same thing, local or expat, until the law is amended.
Cayman law loopholes strikes again. Joke
If someone with reasonable legal knowledge, access to every Cayman Islands law and time/resources could/would undertake a comprehensive review of every or most current laws, serious loopholes, errors, and downright illegalities would be uncovered. Many local laws are poorly written under questionable oversight and enacted mostly by people who can’t understand them but rely on the guidance of posers, themselves far beyond their own capabilities.
One example is how CBC tariff function allows an insurance charge of 1% on every imported item; even though insurance is also, appropriately, charged by the entity transporting that imported item! CBC in the insurance business!? Yes, at least the last time I imported and dealt with CBC and the Customs law allows it. But does that make it legal? Yes, but…No!
On the Immigration side, an applicant for a WP is charged an additional fee, said to be for the repatriation of the WP holder to their homeland. This fee is non-refundable to the WP applicant and if the WP holder claims and uses it to get back home, they cannot come back to the island for a few years! This is as told to me at an Immigration counter downtown. As a separate fee is this legal, or right?
Search the laws and one would find dozens or perhaps hundreds such anomalies. Anomalies? Downright errors!
Such as in this case. But the irony is that, the gun-toting expat benefits from such poorly written laws but locals and residents get screwed by the same issue!
Who are the amateurs drafting these laws anyway?
Who is drafting them? NOT Caymanians (and not Brits either).
That’s nothing. CBC charges you duty on shipping within United States as well. If someone consolidates your packages, they charge you duty on that too.
“He hath floundered it, upon the fees”
“Who are the amateurs drafting these laws anyway?”
Those who Caymanians elected!
19 @ 8:25 pm – Elected officials in Cayman DO NOT draft laws – thank God. There is a Legal Draftsman Department – our used to be. But they apparently have no more comprehension than the officials elected “off the street”.
hahahahaha – right in your face! now all you Cayman peasants make sure you turn up to court for your various cases, which is NEVER dropped by the DPP. If the Government doesnt fire these lot of foreign prosecutors Then what? Oh waitttt, we have to make sure they’re there to keep northward full of Caymanians.
That headline will get the internet trolls out CNS. Especially as half your readers look at the headline without reading the article
That’s why they write them that way.
Poor guy went through all that because of some ignorant customs officers
The question is what was the purpose of the weapons?
Poor guy? Why does he want all the guns when working in IT?
Ignorant DPP. Don’t blame the customs officer.
Like the ones that think telling to get off your phone in the airport is supported by law.
another case of Joe Public embarrassing the DPP. DPP should stand for Dept. of People Pretending (to be lawyers).
Where is the Anglin lady now that here is an issue that affects every citizen and resident of the Cayman Islands?
Will I see you and your church brothers and sisters outside the Gov’t Building protesting this wrong and demanding immediate deportation?
Or do you only involve yourself in matters that’s clearly none of your business?
Well said!
You’re as bright as a blown bulb.
They better fix that loophole in the law ASAP.
The incompetence of the DPP though… Will anyone there ever be held accountable?
There is no loophole! The law is clear that you declare your weapons to the customs officer upon entry to the Island. The law was followed. No loophole. Get it through your thick head!
Alrighty then.
And they say need to stop guns coming in to Cayman island.Then they set this man free, when He was told not to bring the guns. Why would anyone need to bring 3 GUNS in to Grand Cayman ???? Does any one else think this don’t add up right ?
will his wp be approved again in the future? I think not.
This should never have gone to court in the first place. The guy followed the law and he declared the weapons to Customs as soon as he arrived.
It’s not as if he was hiding them – he literally declared them to the authorities!
Such a waste of time and money, yet another failure by the DPP.
Stupid he was not in transit. Was he going to shoot elephants, lions, tigers? What’s the difference of a license gun holder forgetting a bullet in his bag? Isnt he charged and fined? This guy ignored the RCIPS and still brought them in. I wonder what will be the special circumstances, he’s Russian or expat?
He didnt bring them in numbnuts. He handed them over to Customs with the intention of applying for a licence once he was here. No difference between the type of weapons he was trying to bring in and the ones any number of Caymanians hold – they are not hunting tigers or elephants either, you think they shouldnt be allowed to have firearms?
I’m pretty certain all regulated and responsible firearm owner followed under the advice of the RCIPS to obtain and own their weapons. This ass was advised of the protocol and he was determined to bring them in either way. What else has this guy brought in without proper authorization? All speculation but his character is now under scrutiny and so it should be, he brought this on himself!!!
Yes because the Police are always right! Seems they didn’t know the law, and were just proved wrong by the courts. The difference with the gun holder forgetting a bullet is that they didn’t declare it, they tried to import it.
If this man gets back his guns then every law abiding citizen / resident in our country should publicly protest for his deportation.
He is here by privelege and should not have the right to remain here.
He is not the kind of person we should want living here.
DEPORT HIM NOW!!!
He probably got PR by now.
Excuse me but weneed more people like this gentleman living here.
If this man was Caymanian and did the same thing, he would be put in jail and the key thrown away.
Another example that being Expat, White, Net Worked and have a Sh*t load of funding will get you off in the courts of the Cayman Islands.
Why this man need one much less three guns?
He should not be allowed to remain here.
Importing 3 guns into our country and gets off with a slap on his hands illustrates the hypocritical BS that our country is developing in to.
An order of deportation is in order.
He is here by privilege and this privilege SHOULD BE REVOKED.
Deport him for what – showing up Customs and the DPP lol.
CNS – strictly speaking he didn’t import the guns; he handed them over to Customs Would only have been importation if he had retained possession. There’s no difference in the law between what he did and a visiting yacht carrying firearms – the weapons are detained under bind, not imported. Which is why he got off – not only does the law specifically allow it, but they would have to demonstrate criminal intent or reckless indifference to the law. Handing them over to customs for them to retain whilst he applied for a licence….
To do what? Hunt buffaloes? Wait for it……………IGUANAS!!! The customs form is written that way for people in transit, this guy is a resident – big difference!!
Try reading the law. The judge did. And after they pointed it out to the DPP, they decided not to continue rather than appeal the judges decision. Why is that? Could it possibly be that the law doesnt say what you think it does?
This exactly people.
Put away the pitch forks
Next up – he sues CIG for wrongful arrest, reputational damages and his legal costs. How on earth do you arrest and charge someone who told you in advance he was bringing the weapons in, declared and handed them over on arrival, when the law specifically allows someone to do that? They could have just said they wouldn’t release them until he got a licence or that he had to reexport them, but instead they try and put him away for 10 years.
This is exactly what will happen and the ignorant persons calling for deportation are clueless of the incompetence by CBC in this case. This will cost the country a lot, although we may never know to what extent as it will be shielded by an NDA.
You can’t make this stuff up! Boarder patrol that have no clue of the laws they’re hired to uphold.
Well notwithstanding some cute defence lawyering, surely it would have been better to at least put the statutory interpretation before a judge? At least from the perspective of law enforcement.
Does the Legal Dept have no spine or brain stem at all?
How did he even get the guns here?
Must be on his private plane because every time I fly from the USA or Canada there are big signs at the airline check-in counter saying that you cannot travel with inside your checked luggage!
Last I checked airlines come in from other places other than the USA and Canada…
Exactly… does not say much about airport screening!
Either on a plane or by boat………
You can check firearms on a plane in checked baggage if you follow the airlines rules for documents, storage etc…
He who hath the gold makes the rules, or in this case, hires competent lawyers.
Sadly this could not happen to a Caymanian who does not have money. We would be so deep in prison they would have to pipe daylight to us.
No Caymanian, to public knowledge, has ever done the exact same thing, within the bounds of the law and been prosecuted. They’ve all got caught in possession of an unlicensed firearm. Which is illegal, unlike declaring firearms at the boarder upon landing.
He brought 3 non-sporting human-killing weapons to Cayman that he was instructed not to bring, they were surrendered on arrival on inspection, and that’s the only reason they were not imported illegally. Nobody at the CI gun club has machine guns with clips of ammo. You don’t get a license for that in the Cayman Islands. Although technically no law was breached due to interception, it’s clear this is not someone interested in following rules, and that’s why he ought not be living in our society. Try Honduras,Belize, Mexico or Jamaica, he’d fit right in.
Where did you hear that he brought in a machine gun which by design is fully automatic? Many at the Cayman Sport Shooting Association own handguns which are also non-sporting as you put it. The president at CISSA owns a veritable arsenal of weapons including shotguns handguns, AR 15s as do some others not associated with CISSA.
So what’s your point? Does the fact that this fellow Pargygin is an expat with no ties to Cayman perturb you? The fact is he did not break any law so why did the authorities put him through this sharade, discrimination, incompetence, over-zelousness? My bet is that it’s all three.
not following laws is exactly what Cayman is about. have you seen your local politicians and business community?
If he brought the 3 weapons from Canada, which has very strict gun ownership rules, it would be unusual as only people in security related jobs usually have those sorts of weapons and are approved there. Maybe 1 weapon but certainly not 3 weapons. Wonder if the guns were licensed in Canada or came directly from Russia?
He didnt have a machine gun either, but dont let the facts get in the way of your rant. No dooubt you will be pointing out to the members of the gun club that shotguns, semi automatic rifles and handguns are not sporting weapons and shouldn’t be allowed a licence.
He followed the law. The law is the law is the law. If you don’t like the law, change it. Beside, it’s not like he was hiding them, trying to smuggle them in.
This loophole will now be used a lot!
What loophole? There is non. The current law as is it written clearly allows for declaration of goods. If those goods require a licence they are held in bond until a licence is obtained. On the contrary many Caymanians break the law every day by blatantly smuggling in goods and not declaring them, but you’ve never done that right?
Wow our government legal department are real bunch of first class winners aren’t they. Donald Trump should hire them. What does the honorable madam governor have to say about all this?
What the **** Donald Trump hsve anything to do with this?
10:12, You obviously have no clue what is going on in the American legal system with Trump. Stop watching FOX News.
Congrats to his legal team.
Triple citizenship is not allowed
Shooting from the hip my friend, just like the DPP in this case. Are you one of them?
Tri-citizenship is allowed unless of course you’re your’re from a country that doesn’t allow it. You might find it’s more common than you think.
https://www.globalcitizensolutions.com/triple-citizenship/#:~:text=Can%20you%20hold%20three%20citizenships,home%20country%20permits%20triple%20citizenship.
If he was a Canadian-German—Australian would we know about it?
Why do people come on CNS and make stuff up about topics they evidently know nothing about? Who are you trying to fool?
He declared the firearms, it’s a travesty that our bumbling DPP even wanted to waste public funds and court time to pursue this case. Now will he granted a licence for the firearms, which everyone knows is a very objective process and depends on who you know here in Cayman. And furthermore if the licence is denied he won’t be privy to the reason.I would appeal the decision if the licence is not granted.
The DPP are recently 0 for 2 and need a full reshuffling which should have happened over a decade ago. Send back the worthless over zealous, incompetent detectives from Tempura days back to Ole’ Blighty and bring in professional, honest seasoned ones from Singapore.
storm in a teacup and common sense prevailed. he presented the guns to customs on arrival!!
but wait for the hysterical outcry by caymanians claiming its favouritism towards expats
To do what? Hunt buffaloes? Wait for it……………IGUANAS!!! The customs form is written that way for people in transit, this guy is a resident – big difference!!
Failures in the legal drafting department and the legislature are not the fault of expats
Ummm, the government legal and drafting departments are almost ALL expats (or at least they were until the granted themselves status).
Why he need the guns?
Why does anyone in the gun club need guns?
He’s not a member. Again what was the purpose of the weapons?
Irrelevant
That’s his business. Nosey Parker