Former Border Police officer Gal Shmuel Farjun says he left the bullets in his bag by accident; Foreign Ministry had hoped he’d be deported rather than imprisoned

 

By TOI STAFF

 

A Thai court on Friday handed down an 18-month jail sentence to a former Israeli Border Police officer who was arrested in October at the Phuket airport with two bullet magazines in his suitcase, Hebrew media reported.

 

Gal Shmuel Farjun, 29, claimed that he left the bullets in his bag by accident when he traveled from Israel to Thailand, and the Foreign Ministry had hoped that the court would agree to deport, rather than jail him, given the circumstance.

 

Farjun, who has no criminal background, had been held under house arrest since shortly after he was apprehended at the airport on October 22.

 

His lawyer plans to file an appeal against the decision in the coming weeks. He was again released to house arrest upon posting bail. It was unclear when his sentence would begin.

 

Full story: https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-found-with-bullet-magazines-in-suitcase-sentenced-to-18-months-in-thai-jail/

 

-- © Copyright The Times of Israel 2022-12-03

 

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כשמסיימים מילואים לא אמור החייל להחזיר את כל הציוד הצבאי, נעלים ומחסניות עם הכדורים? מה הקטע הזה?
.
המשפחה בהלם: גל שמואל פרג'ון שנעצר כשבאמתחתו תחמושת, ירצה שנה וחצי מאסר בכלא התאילנדיhttps://t.co/fppZ8cTkDe

שותף מאפליקציית "מבזקון"https://t.co/pIxH0oqpDX

— E. H. E.???? (@shmuel_eyal) December 2, 2022

How did they get through the security checks the Israel end ?

44 minutes ago, JoePai said:

How did they get through the security checks the Israel end ?

When I went through the security leaving Israel many years ago,they checked everything and unpacked my whole case by hand.These days with metal scanners and x ray machines I find it almost impossible to believe the bullets  weren't found leaving .

 

So easily done......the number of times I've unpacked and found a few loose rounds........????

Well, I can tell you that the Israili Government is going to be well and truly <deleted> at this, and the guy will be repatritiated sooner rather than later.

 

Somebody please tell me how to spell repatriated?

Doesn't sound complete. None is able to pass through Ben Gurion's security system - not only scanners but even some sniffing devices [for explosives I guess].

Most likely  there was some smuggling involved with more than just a bullets and this story ^^^ is complete made up rubbish.

What a waste of time and money…just deport him

 

BFD magazine clips…why doubt his story?

 

 

Sounds like the fix is in. House arrest? Nice touch.

Funny, Thai guys drive/run around  with guns loaded and no one does anything ....

3 minutes ago, smew said:

Funny, Thai guys drive/run around  with guns loaded and no one does anything ....

Usually somebody does something involving videoing on their phone & sending to tv stations.

Plod never watches tv.????????

He will go back to Israel with a wonderful memory of "Amazing Thailand (JAIL)".

2 hours ago, findlay13 said:

When I went through the security leaving Israel many years ago,they checked everything and unpacked my whole case by hand.These days with metal scanners and x ray machines I find it almost impossible to believe the bullets  weren't found leaving .

 

When I left Israel a few years back they kept my suitcase for a longer inspection and sent it on a flight the next day. But I guess anyone can make a mistake.

 

Wondering what a 'bullet magazine' is, would have imagined it was just an essentially harmless box shape bit of metal.

 

Whatever the offense, 18 months seems a bit harsh considering you can kill a policeman and get away with no sentence at all. (both Red Bull and that drunk Thai lady)

thousands of young Thais riding around with a gun under their seat or at home under the matress and when they get caught i'm absolutely sure they don't get 18 months jail,  am I missing something ?

Just now, steven100 said:

thousands of young Thais riding around with a gun under their seat or at home under the matress and when they get caught i'm absolutely sure they don't get 18 months jail,  am I missing something ?

Yes, you are missing the need to stay on topic.

If your Thai national you can drive around all day with a loaded gun but as a foreigner you get sent to prison better be careful I don’t walk out with an empty cartridge case the next time I visit the local shooting range 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

the Foreign Ministry had hoped that the court would agree to deport, rather than jail him,

Any influence from Thailand's new pals - the Saudis????

2 hours ago, CanadaSam said:

Well, I can tell you that the Israili Government is going to be well and truly <deleted> at this, and the guy will be repatritiated sooner rather than later.

 

Somebody please tell me how to spell repatriated?

Repatriotitoriated. You're welcome. 

18 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

If your Thai national you can drive around all day with a loaded gun but as a foreigner you get sent to prison better be careful I don’t walk out with an empty cartridge case the next time I visit the local shooting range 

If as a foreigner you feel unfairly discriminated against you can always leave. 

I predict he will be released early, this is just a showcase for deterrent purposes. If he IS a cop he knows full well the seriousness of the offense (offence) accident or not.

4 hours ago, JoePai said:

How did they get through the security checks the Israel end ?

He probably had a police ID or was known personally at that airport by the employees, he may have been allowed to skip some of the security process such as x-rays. 

Israeli police officer with no criminal record.  Confiscate the pistol magazines, have him pay a modest fine, and give him a verbal and typed up warning and let him continue on with seeing Thailand.  The guy is obviously not an international criminal wanted by INTERPOL or anyone else. 
   

Bizarre, draconian over reach and sheer stupidity. The extent to which the courts here are uneven, in their application of the law, boggles the mind. Let the gun runners, and the cops involved in selling weapons run free, plying their trade, which you lock this guy up for some bullets. Dumb and dumber. 

3 hours ago, CanadaSam said:

Well, I can tell you that the Israili Government is going to be well and truly <deleted> at this, and the guy will be repatritiated sooner rather than later.

Not unless Thailand allows it!   From the Eli Cohen case...

"In a letter to Cohen's lawyer, Yoram Sheftel, the head of the State Prosecution's international division, Irit Kahan, wrote that "the State of Israel's official policy was and remains that an Israeli citizen should be tried by the country whose laws he broke, where evidence has been collated against him, and where an effective prosecution can be brought against him".

2 hours ago, d4dang said:

Sounds like the fix is in. House arrest? Nice touch.

While on bail.  Normally bail in Thailand does not have house arrest requirements, so not so much of a nice touch.

1 hour ago, steven100 said:

thousands of young Thais riding around with a gun under their seat or at home under the matress and when they get caught i'm absolutely sure they don't get 18 months jail,  am I missing something ?

You are absolutely correct. The law only applies to foreigners sometimes?????

1 hour ago, Confuscious said:

He will go back to Israel with a wonderful memory of "Amazing Thailand (JAIL)".

He will go back to Israel with a wonderful memory of his stupidity.

1 hour ago, smew said:

Funny, Thai guys drive/run around  with guns loaded and no one does anything ....

B0llocks.  That's only until they're apprehended, then the same thing happens as happened to this Israeli.

18 months for 2 bullets accidentally left in luggage versus 0 months for the State Prosecutor deliberately tampering with evidence. Thailand's legal system working at its best, well done.

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Wondering what a 'bullet magazine' is, would have imagined it was just an essentially harmless box shape bit of metal.

Maybe two bullet magazines are indicative of something more serious than a couple of forgotten bullets?

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Whatever the offense, 18 months seems a bit harsh considering you can kill a policeman and get away with no sentence at all. ( ... Red Bull ...)

Vorayuth is not in Thailand so the Thai authorities have their hands tied, the Israeli was/is so the RTP could prosecute him.  Vorayuth has not got away with it yet, five more years to go.