MONTEGO BAY, St James — An Argentinian who was reportedly caught with ammunition in his luggage when he tried to board a flight at the Sangster International Airport was fined $20,000 when he appeared in the St James Parish Court on Monday.

Santino Dulce, 19, was charged with unauthorised possession of ammunition. He was represented by attorney-at-law Chumu Paris.

According to the police, on July 14 about 10:30 am, Dulce was about to board a Copa Airline flight to Panama City when his luggage was scanned and one 1.22mm round of ammunition was reportedly found.

Throughout the proceedings Dulce’s father remained silent in the courtroom, his eyes welling with tears he refused to let fall as he waited for his son’s verdict.

The defence attorney painted a picture of an honest mistake made by his client, a member of a responsible family. He told the court Dulce’s family owns a farm and operates a trucking business. He explained that the defendant found the bullet around three years ago, placed it in his bag and forgot about it.

Paris went on to say that his client is a diligent young man who has never engaged in any illegal activity. He also described the incident as a misguided error on his client’s part and appealed to the court for mercy.

The attorney also made mention of his client’s father’s emotional state, emphasising the impact the situation had on the family.

“The truth is that in less than two minutes the father is going to be smiling,” joked presiding judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton before ordering the defendant to pay a $20,000 fine or spend three months in jail.

The judge then expressed concern about individuals bringing ammunition into the country without being detected, only to be discovered when they are leaving, a situation she said she finds puzzling.