Imported cocaine enough for 15,000 people – expert

The cocaine imported by a Mexican mule, which he allegedly had to deliver to two Latin Americans, could have supplied over 15, 000 people, jurors heard yesterday.

This emerged from the testimony of drug expert Godwin Sammut in the trial of José Pena, a 41-year-old from Colombia, and 33-year-old Panamanian Domingo Navas, who are pleading not guilty to conspiring to traffic in the drug.

A total of 1.5 kilograms of cocaine, a “class A” drug, were imported in 2006 by 43-year-old Enriquez Martinez Burgoa, who is serving a 12-year jail term after admitting to charges of importing drugs.

Defence lawyers Joe Mifsud and Joe Brincat have already addressed the jurors. Lawyer Nadine Sant, from the Attorney General’s Office, is expected to make her address today.

The star witness, Mr Burgoa, told the court on Monday he had been given a phone number by another man called Victor in Mexico. On arrival he was meant to call the number and hand over the drugs to another man. However, the police caught him at the airport and officers took him to a hotel where, in their presence, he called the number and told the person on the other end of the line go straight away to the hotel. A few minutes later, the two accused appeared at the door and were arrested.