A suspected gun dealer was caught in the act when undercover police called him to set up an appointment for a sale, a court heard on Wednesday

Police Superintendent Keith Arnaud testified that following a tip-off, he had called Nigel John Abela, 46, from Dingli to express interest in weapons he was selling.

He fixed an appointment to meet the man close to the Mosta cemetery on September 28, 2009. Upon his arrival, he identified himself as a police officer and searched Abela's vehicle, finding an M1 Garande rifle that was inside a camouflage case. The rifle was stolen from a residence in Ħamrun in July 2007.

It resulted that around 11 weapons had been stolen from the residence but Abela was only found in possession of one.

A search of Abela's residence yielded another weapon, an Amadeo Rossi shotgun, but this had never been registered with the police. It was not one of the weapons stolen from Ħamrun.

The police had also found other weapons which Abela had been storing for a friend.

A number of cocaine sachets and syringes were also found. 

Arnaud said that Abela, who at the time worked in the customer care office at the VAT Department, cooperated with the police.

Handing down judgment, Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras found Abela guilty of cocaine possession and possession of a stolen weapon as well as other weapons which, even though he was storing for a friend, still amounted to the crime of unlicensed possession of weapons.  

He was sentenced to nine months in jail suspended for two years as well as a €600 fine. Lawyers Veronique Dalli and Dean Hili were defence counsel.