Fined for drug possession

Ivan Galea, 30, of Qormi, was yesterday fined Lm600 on being found guilty of drug possession.

Galea was charged after drug squad police carried out a search in a garage in Windmill Street, Qormi and found four sachets containing heroin, used syringes, foil on which drug had been heated and other items related to drug abuse.

Five men had been arrested following the find. Galea, one of those arrested, released a statement in which he said he had been a drug abuser for about three years. However, he did not abuse heroin on a daily basis but perhaps twice a week.

He admitted to the police that some of the items found in the garage, including the magazines from which pages were torn to make the sachets, belonged to him. He remained mum about who the sachets containing drugs belonged to. Galea was charged with both drug trafficking and possession.

The court, presided over by Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera, said there was no doubt that the charge relating to possession was proven because the accused himself admitted he was an abuser. The court said it saw this case as a serious one considering that four sachets had been found.

But the charge of trafficking had not been proven as it was more likely that it was one of the others who was the trafficker. However, drug possession was also a serious crime and the court fined Galea Lm600.

Dr Robert Abela appeared for Galea.