British special forces soldier arrested in Bolivia ‘over possession of weapons and cocaine’
Mark David Hassell was arrested on Monday night in his room at a boarding house in Rurrenabaque, Bolivia, after neighbours complained that he threatened them.A former British special forces soldier has been arrested in an Amazon jungle tourist town for illegal possession of weapons and cocaine.Mark David Hassell was arrested on Monday night in his room at a boarding house in Rurrenabaque, Bolivia, after neighbours complained that he threatened them, said Navy Captain Cimar Vides, the regional military chief.A police spokesman said he had a submachine gun, a pistol and an unspecified quantity of cocaine.Hassell was taken to the regional capital, Trinidad, yesterday where he is to appear before a judge on illegal arms and cocaine possession charges, Capt Vides said.Hassell has the insignia of various British military units tattooed on his body, the official said. He added that Hassell had overstayed a tourist visa obtained last year.“He has been an elite soldier. He was decorated and took part in the Bosnia war,” Capt Vides said.The British Embassy said it was providing consular assistance to Hassell but declined further comment.
The police officer who arrested Hassell said the suspect gave his age as 43 and reported he had been in the British special forces and had also fought in Afghanistan.Hassell had an Argentine-made 9mm MK submachine gun and a Brazilian-made .38-calibre Tauro handgun along with 100 rounds of ammunition in a backpack, and the room smelled of cocaine, officer Agapito Torrez said.Hassell, who identified himself as a tourist, also had a German shepherd dog that townspeople said had threatened them, the officer said. He said Hassell does not speak Spanish.Mr Torrez said locals notified police partly because they said they heard Hassell say he would “make history” in Rurrenabaque.
[ed notes:Bolivian news sources report that he had a list of names in his possession which might be a hit list. On Googling his name, we find that "Mark David Hassell" was employed by Ubs Securities Llc, at 1285 Avenue of The Americas, New York.]

via (t.a.n.s.g.)