A man has been jailed for five years and fined €7,000 after he pleaded guilty to conspiring to traffic just under one kilogramme of cocaine more than 10 years ago.

Austin Uche had conspired with Tony Johnson in August 2009 to distribute 949 grammes of cocaine to a third person against a fee of €20,000.

Uche and Johnson, both Nigerian nationals, were arrested in Għajn Dwieli in Paola after a surveillance operation by the police drug squad, acting on a tip-off. When the two were arrested, the police found a black bag containing the cocaine which had a total street value of just over €72,000. 

In 2013, Johnson had been jailed for nine years and fined €30,000 for his part in the conspiracy.  The third person who was due to receive the cocaine is expected to face justice later this year. 

Instead of facing a trial by jury, Uche pleaded guilty before Mr Justice Giovanni Grixti following a plea-bargaining exercise with the Attorney General’s office. 
Drug trafficking usually carries a maximum punishment of life in jail. 

The court jailed Uche for five years and fined him €7,000, also ordering the confiscation of all his moveable and immovable property as well as the payment of one-third of the court expenses.