The court heard that drug squad police suspected that Dean John Harvey, a resident of Qawra, was going to import drugs into Malta. He was placed under surveillance and the police intercepted a parcel at the post office. A controlled delivery was affected and the police arrested Mr Harvey as he retrieved the package.
The court heard that in a police statement, Mr Harvey said that he had first arrived in Malta in 2005 and had asked a friend to send him a parcel containing cocaine from the UK. The parcel contained 4.5 grammes of cocaine and he had paid £225 for it. Mr Harvey said the cocaine was meant for his personal use. He confirmed that in the UK he had been convicted of possession of firearms and Class A drugs.
The court heard that Mr Harvey had imported the cocaine because the drug locally available was “rubbish” when compared to the cocaine available in the UK. When tested, however, it resulted that the purity of the cocaine sent to him was inferior to that of cocaine available in Malta.
Handing down his judgement, Magistrate Lawrence Quintano said that the amount of cocaine Mr Harvey had imported was “very serious” and the punishment should reflect the seriousness of the case. While acquitting him of conspiring to import drugs and distribute cocaine in Malta, he found him guilty of importing and possessing the cocaine.
Police Inspectors Norbert Ciappara prosecuted.
Lawyer Mark Busuttil appeared for Mr Harvey.