A drug trafficker who was meant to stand trial was yesterday jailed for nine years and fined €23,000 after filing a guilty plea following a plea bargain.

Ibrahim Koroma, 30, a Liberian national who arrived in Malta as an illegal immigrant in 2002, met a man in a bar in Buġibba some five years later and was offered a job as a drug trafficker, the bill of indictment stated.

He agreed and a deal was set up whereby he would share in the profits of the cocaine and heroin dealing business.

On December 20, 2007 he was caught red-handed during a drug deal. Mr Koroma had in his possession 570 grammes of heroin and 401 grammes of cocaine.

In a search of his home in St Paul's Bay, the police also found seven grammes of cannabis resin.

Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono took into consideration the plea bargain between the Attorney General and Mr Koroma before handing down the jail term.