A Russian man was today jailed for five years and fined €23,000 after he admitted to conspiring with people to import heroin and to the importation of the drug in April 2011.

Dmitrijus Zdorovcevas, 28, a Russian national living in Lithuania, admitted to the charges before facing a trial by jury.

He admitted to importation of benzodiazepine, a powder that is then mixed with heroin. The drug was found in a concealed compartment in his luggage upon his arrival at Malta International Airport.

Following a plea bargaining deal, Mr Zdorovcevas pleaded guilty to the charges and was jailed for five year. He was also fined €23,000 and ordered to pay almost €1,000 in court expenses.

Police Inspector Johann Fenech prosecuted.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.