A man who was found guilty of cannabis possession in a case that dates back to 2008, has been jailed for 10 years after being found guilty last year.
Jesmond Mary Vella, known as Il-Bulgaru, was found guilty of aggravated possession after 20 cannabis resin blocks were discovered inside a truck outside a Mosta garage some 16 years ago.
Back in 2008, Vella was under police surveillance as they suspected he was involved in illicit drug activity, with officers noting that he frequently visited a garage in Triq in-Naġġar, Mosta.
While a search of the property and two cars parked within did not yield any results, a Bedford truck parked outside proved to be a different story.
In a bucket-like container and stashed away under a loaf of stale bread, they found 20 blocks of cannabis resin with a total weight of some 4.8 kgs.
The substance was later examined and certified as having 8.2% purity, with a market value of €30,943.
During the trial, Vella’s former employer and the owner of the truck testified that, due to having an open flatbed, unknown people would dump “all sorts of rubbish” in the truck all the time.
He said that, though he was listed as the vehicle’s registered owner, it was Vella who primarily drove the truck as he found it too cumbersome.
At the time of the discovery, the truck had been parked outside for a month or so since it had developed some fault and its owner had decided not to renew its licence once it expired.
Arrested in Libya, arraigned in Tripoli in 2021
In 2021, Vella was arrested in Libya and arraigned in Tripoli over alleged involvement in organised crime, drugs and human trafficking.
It is understood that these proceedings in Libya caused some delay in the delivery of Vella’s final judgment in this case.
A jury found Vella guilty of cannabis possession six votes to three in December 2023, with Madam Justice Consuelo Scerri Herrera handing down her sentence just last month.
The office of the attorney general had initially sought a life sentence for Vella. He has remained in preventive custody throughout this time.
Vella was sentenced to a 10-year effective jail term as well as a €20,000 fine. He was also ordered to pay €1,820.11 in court expenses.