Drug dealer tried to swallow heroin packets on arrest

A long-time drug dealer tried to swallow packets of heroin he was carrying when approached by the police, a court heard yesterday.

Jon Formosa, who had made a "10-year career" out of drugs, was yesterday jailed for two and a half years after admitting to trafficking in heroin on Tuesday.

He was caught in possession of three packets of heroin when the police arrested him in his hometown of Cospicua. He tried to swallow them when they made the arrest but was stopped from doing so by police officers.

The police later carried out a search at his house and found drug-related items.

Looking into his criminal record, Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera noted that Mr Formosa had made "a 10-year career out of trafficking in drugs".

His record dates back to 1997. She also pointed out that in his statement to the police he had admitted to trafficking in drugs over the past three months. In handing down sentence, the magistrate took into consideration the fact that he had pleaded guilty and also that he had been given many chances to reform over the past 10 years. Mr Formosa was jailed for 18 months and fined €1,000.

Police Inspectors Johann Fenech and Victor Aquilina prosecuted.

Lawyer Martin Fenech appeared as legal aid for Mr Formosa.