Baggage handler fined €90,000 for contraband

A 55-year-old man who was caught in possession of contraband cigarettes and alcohol in July 2003, has finally been served justice and fined €90,000 and given a suspended jail term.

Raymond Camilleri, from Ibrag, who worked as a baggage handler at the airport, was originally charged with stealing 20 mobile phones which were brought from Sicily and tax evasion on alcohol, cigarettes, cordless phones and two air rifles.

He was acquitted of stealing the phones dues to lack of evidence, but found guilty of evading tax on the rest of the items found at his home.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera found how he had offered a weak explanation of how he came into possession of the contraband items.
She fined him a total of €91,000 and sentenced him to three months behind bars suspended for 18 months.