Six years jail, €20k fine for drug mule who flew to Malta from Brussels
Ruby Okeoma landed at Malta International Airport in December 2022
A 38-year-old man has been jailed for six years and fined €20,000 for importing heroin into Malta.
Ruby Okeoma arrived at the Malta International Airport on board flight KM421 from Brussels in December 2022, when he was stopped and searched.
During a search at the airport, the officers found nothing on the suspect, but he was later found to be carrying 104 capsules inside his body.
The capsules contained a mix of heroin, acetaminophen and caffeine, with the drug making up 12 per cent of the 1.35 kilogrammes of brown substance found in the capsules.
Okeoma was subsequently charged with importation of heroin and aggravated possession of the drug and initially denied the charges.
On February 20 the Attorney General and the accused filed a joint application before the Criminal Court, informing it that a plea deal had been agreed upon and according to which the man should be sentenced to six years and fined €20,000, in addition to other sanctions, expenses and consequences that are prescribed by law upon conviction in such cases.
Okeoma entered a guilty plea before the court on March 6, admitting to the charges.
In its considerations, the court took into account that the guilty plea was entered before the man went on trial by jury, the circumstances of the case and the drugs involved. It also took into account relevant jurisprudence, which serves as a guideline, and that the punishment should reflect the particular circumstances of the case.
The court deemed that in this case it should adhere to the punishment as requested by the Attorney General and the accused, and therefore Okeoma was jailed for six years.
He was also fined €20,000. The man was ordered to pay a total of €3,040.48 in court expenses.
The court ordered the destruction of the drugs unless the Attorney General files a note within 15 days to inform the court that the drugs are needed as evidence in separate proceedings.
It also ordered the forfeiture of all monies, movable and immovable property of the person sentenced in favour of the government.