Two Estonian men who imported a staggering 5.7 kilograms of cocaine worth €600,000 were yesterday jailed for a total of 28 years between them and fined €70,000.

The judge, Mr Justice Lawrence Quintano, said he really hoped the best for them because they were still young and “life has to be lived”.

He also told them to stay away from shady people while behind bars and to reflect on what they had done.

The men, Aulis Zopp and Janno Aun, both 22, from Tartu, the second largest city in Estonia, stood in the dock and nodded their heads in acknowledgment of his words.

Mr Aun, a deaf mute, was aided by a sign language interpreter.

The men were stopped by customs officials when they arrived in Malta on a flight from Tripoli on February 1, 2008.

Officers found the cocaine packed into two suitcases.

Through plea bargaining, the men admitted to importation and possession of the drug which was not for their exclusive use.

Defence lawyer Joseph Giglio told the judge that he would be making an official request to the Foreign Affairs Ministry under the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons for his clients to serve the term in their home country.