Two unemployed brothers who lived off social benefits but could afford luxury cars were yesterday jailed for four-and-a-half years each for drug trafficking and money laundering.

Freddie Delia, 36, and his brother, Roderick,33, were also fined €10,000 each and Magistrate Miriam Hayman ordered the confiscation of their cars – a BMW and a Mitsubishi Pajero – after ruling that even though these were registered in their father’s name she had no doubt they were bought using drug money.

“It resulted that both were unemployed and that – poor things – they live off social benefits amounting to €91.55 weekly and they drive various luxury cars which, coincidentally, are registered in the name of their father or others.

“What is even more surprising is how someone like Freddie Delia, who lives off that measly sum... can afford none other than a BMW Z4 for which he paid €24,000 in cash,” the magistrate said, noting that the list of cars registered under their father’s name included a Daihatsu Terios and another BMW Z4.

The court had no doubt as to what the source of their income was

The Delia brothers, from Żabbar, were found guilty of trafficking drugs and laundering money between February 2009 and June 2010.

The court heard several witnesses say they bought heroin and cocaine from the two accused.

On June 1, 2010, the police, who were monitoring the brothers, noticed Roderick Delia drive from his house in the Pajero and later saw him sell drugs and arrested him.

They went to his brother’s house and waited outside for about 20 minutes, during which time Freddie Delia shouted from the window that the police would never find what they were looking for.

Eventually, when the police entered the house, they found a pot in the yard and it was clear that something had just been burnt in it.

The pot eventually turned out to have traces of drugs, as did a €20 note found in the house.

“The court had no doubt as to what the source of their income was,” the magistrate said, declaring them guilty of the charges.

Police Inspectors Jesmond Borg and Johann Fenech prosecuted.

Lawyers Veronique Dalli, Dean Hili and Daniela Mangion represented the brothers.