A Latvian sailor got caught with $48 million worth of cocaine, a gun and 192 rounds of ammunition when he stopped in Bermuda for ship repairs, a jury heard.Janis Zegelis is said by prosecutors to have obtained the drugs in the Caribbean last summer, having visited several islands including Trinidad and Tobago.He was sailing single-handed back to his home country in Eastern Europe when his 38ft single-masted yacht, Arturs, encountered heavy seas. This caused damage to the mast which could have led to a “very dangerous situation for the boat and Mr Zegelis”, according to prosecutor Rory Field.Needing repairs, Mr Zegelis stopped off in Bermuda just before Cup Match, arriving on July 21, 2011. Mr Field said the sailor was unable to get the repairs completed due to the holiday, and was still moored at St George’s when Customs raided the boat on August 1 [see sidebar].The cocaine, weighing just over 165 kilograms, was wrapped in plastic and had an average purity of 81 percent according to Mr Field. The weapon was a 9mm semi-automatic Beretta pistol. The items were stored in a cabin area at the bow of the yacht.“The value of these drugs, the Crown allege, was something in the region of $48 million,” said Mr Field, opening Mr Zegelis’s Supreme Court trial yesterday.“The Crown’s case on the firearm is fairly simple: Mr Zegelis had something worth $48 million in the front of his boat, and that’s a fortune in any country, and enough to tempt any criminal to come to take it whether it’s on the high seas or on land. That’s why he had the weapon to use it if anyone wanted to take the drugs.”According to Mr Field, the ammunition fitted the gun and Customs officers also found two extended magazines, which would allow 30 bullets to be fired from each magazine without reloading. One of the magazines was loaded with 29 bullets and the other with 25.“One can only imagine what could have occurred if criminals in Bermuda got wind of those drugs,” noted Mr Field.Mr Zegelis, who turns 29 on Thursday, was arrested. He was interviewed by police and Mr Field said he gave “incriminating” information.He is now facing six charges: importing and possessing the cocaine, importing and possessing the gun, and importing and possessing the ammunition.He denies the charges, and is being assisted during his trial by a Latvian translator provided by the defence. According to Mr Field, the defendant speaks English “quite well” and also speaks Russian and Spanish.The first witness for the Crown, Scott Simmons of Marine and Ports, examined GPS devices seized from the vessel. They showed that “way points” had been entered on the navigation devices marking various points in the Caribbean and the Atlantic.Senior Customs Officer Andre Smith greeted Mr Zegelis after he arrived at the Bermuda Yacht Reporting Centre. The sailor’s documents showed his last port of call was Trinidad and Tobago and he indicated he planned to stay in Bermuda for one or two weeks for repairs before heading to Latvia.Mr Simmons said he asked Mr Zegelis three times whether there were any firearms on board Arturs, as part of the Customs process. Mr Zegelis replied on each occasion that there were not, and signed a Customs declaration form to that effect.The case continues.