A Bulgarian was yesterday jailed for 12 years and fined Lm20,000 after he admitted to swallowing heroin-filled capsules on two occasions to import the drug into Malta three years ago.

Atanas Paskalev Dimitrov filed a guilty plea before Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono during what was to be the beginning of his trial by jury.

The 32-year-old Bulgarian national stood in the dock flanked by his interpreter and admitted to conspiring to deal in heroin and importing and trafficking in the drug.

The bill of indictment outlined how, between October and December 2003, Mr Dimitrov got to know a man called Camel who lived in Istanbul, Turkey.

The two conspired to deal in heroin. The arrangement was that Mr Dimitrov was to travel to Istanbul to collect the drugs from Camel, then smuggle them into Malta.

In November 2003 Mr Dimitrov swallowed some 45 heroin-filled capsules and managed to smuggle them into the island.

The following month the police were informed that an airplane passenger was to import heroin. On December 22 Mr Dimitrov was apprehended at the airport and found to have ingested drug-filled capsules. He had arrived in Malta from Istanbul via Frankfurt.

The police learnt that Mr Dimitrov had been told to deliver the heroin to a third person in Mdina. Camel had paid him US$700 to cover travel expenses apart from US$1,000 for his involvement.

Mr Justice Galea Debono noted that on February 7 of this year a joint application was filed by the defence and the prosecution in which they agreed on punishment. The parties agreed that, if Mr Dimitrov filed a guilty plea, he was to be given a 12-year jail term and a Lm20,000 fine.

The judge noted Mr Dimitrov's age, the fact that he had a clean criminal record in Malta and had filed an early guilty plea. He ruled that life imprisonment was therefore not appropriate.

In such a case, the judge ruled, the accused faced a jail term ranging between four and 30 years and a fine ranging between Lm1,000 and Lm50,000.

On evaluating the circumstances of the case the judge ruled that he was satisfied with the sanctions and measures agreed to by the parties and, for this reason, there was no cause to order the trial to proceed.

He jailed Mr Dimitrov for 12 years and fined him Lm20,000 which are to be converted into an additional 18 months imprisonment if not paid within 15 days.

Mr Justice Galea Debono also ordered the confiscation of any of Mr Dimitrov's movable and immovable property in Malta in favour of the government. He also ruled that Mr Dimitrov is to be deported after serving time.

Senior Counsel to the Republic Aaron Bugeja and Police Inspector Norbert Ciappara prosecuted.

Lawyer Joseph Mifsud appeared for Mr Dimitrov.

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