Drug importer jailed for five years after plea bargain
He imported 1,370 grams of cannabis resin.
A 37-year-old man has been jailed for five years for importing 1,370 grams of cannabis resin.
Farhat Said, a Moroccan national without a fixed address in Malta, was accused of association to traffic cannabis resin and importing the drug on May 7, 2024.
He initially denied the charges but a year ago he and the Attorney General filed a joint application, in which the prosecution recommended that the man be jailed for five years and fined €11,000 in the eventuality of pleading guilty.
The court analysed the circumstances of the case, noting that the accused was caught with 1,370.2g of cannabis resin of 21.2 percent purity. It also observed that his admission was being made at an advanced stage of the proceedings when the prosecution had rested its case. The accused had no prior convictions. It also considered the effect of the crime on Maltese society and referred to previous judgments on similar cases.
It held that the plea bargain agreement was within the parameters of the law. Said was therefore jailed for five years and fined €11,000. He was ordered to pay €1,678.17 in court expenses. Magistrate Elaine Rizzo presided. Police inspector Mark Anthony Mercieca prosecuted.