Student ‘posted incendiary devices’

A business management student sent incendiary devices through the post to pocket refunds from Amazon, a court heard.

Ovidijus Margelis, 26, allegedly posted suspicious packages containing explosives while studying at East Anglia University.

The Lithuanian is said to have posted items to addresses purporting to contain iPhones and other ‘commercial items’.

But the carton boxes contained small ‘incendiary’ devices and Margelis called them on his mobile, triggering a flame, rendering the packages untraceable, it was said.

The student then claimed refunds from Amazon or Paypal, according to the prosecution.

A Cricklewood resident received a suspicious package containing an explosive device on 10 September and called police immediately.

Margelis was arrested at his home in Cambridge by officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command on Saturday (12) and charged with three counts of intent to cause an explosion.

He is also charged with four fraud-related offences relating to the fraud he is said to have carried out.

The student appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today (mon) via video link from custody and spoke to confirm his name and address.

Misba Majid, prosecuting, said: ‘This is a sophisticated offence, it has taken the defendant some time to put these things together.’

Hesham Puri, defending, said Margelis’ actions were ‘stupidity not malice’ and claimed the charges did not reflect the nature of the crime.

Mr said: ‘These are acts of stupidity not malice.

‘Yes people are frightened, people are scared, but his intention was never to hurt anyone.’

Margelis, of Cambridge, is charged with three counts of intent to cause an explosion likely to endanger life or injure property.

He is also charged with possessing a controlled article for use in fraud, using criminal property and possessing identity documents with intent.

He was remanded in custody and will next appear before Westminster Magistrates Court on 21 October.

ENDS