Two years jail for cannabis possession

A 29-year-old man was yesterday jailed for two years when he admitted to the possession of about 500 grammes of cannabis resin and trafficking in the drug.

Alex Spiteri, of Qormi, admitted to the possession of the drug and trafficking in it on and before March 2005.

Despite the guilty plea, Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera moved on to hear how, in March 2005, the police were informed that Mr Spiteri was to buy drugs from a person he would meet in the Tal-Handaq industrial zone, in Qormi.

On March 15 that year, the police intercepted Mr Spiteri who had driven out of the industrial area and parked his car in a basement garage in Qormi.

The police searched his car and the garage. In the car they found two bars of cannabis under the driver's seat.

He was then taken to the police headquarters for questioning. There he said he had been smoking cannabis for several years. He bought the cannabis bars, that weighed about 250 grammes each, with the intention of smoking part and selling some.

The magistrate jailed him for two years and recommended the prison authorities to give Mr Spiteri any help needed while serving time.

Police Inspector Dennis Theuma prosecuted.