A 37-year-old man was jailed for six years and fined €8,000 after he was found guilty of trafficking cocaine, which he sold from his Birkirkara home.

Stephen Borg was apprehended by police who raided his house after receiving reports of possible drug trafficking from there.

Police Inspectors Robert Vella and Elton Taliana told the court that they had received a tipoff in 2009 about unusual activities at a Birkirkara house.

Residents were reporting seeing several people going in and out of the premises at all times of the day.

The police raided Mr Borg’s house where they found drug paraphernalia, including tin foil, pipes and a set of digital scales in the bathroom. There were four people inside the house at the time of the raid.

The police found €3,500 in cash as well as a book with names and numbers. The accused was not present at the time.

The police had arraigned a man who pleaded guilty to purchasing drugs from Mr Borg.

Mr Borg told the court he was not a drug trafficker and that this was the trade of the people who testified against him.

But the court, presided by Magistrate Miriam Hayman, who was today sworn in as judge, said it was evident that large-scale trafficking was taking place at the house.

She said the court did not believe Mr Borg, especially when he said he was poor and depended on the charity of others for obtaining drugs, since he had six cars registered on his name.