A Belgian couple who ventured into a risky drug ring to generate sufficient funds for the woman to be able to receive life-saving treatment for a serious medical condition, were condemned to a 19-year jail term and a fine of €35,000 after admitting to their role as drug couriers.
Carine Rose-Marijke Donckers, 51, self-employed, and Johnny Jos Haest, 46, employed in a manufacturing business together with his wife, had been arraigned jointly last June, both pleading guilty to a string of drug-related charges revolving around the conspiracy to import and supply cocaine and cannabis.
Months of surveillance by the Maltese Drug Squad had finally led to the break-up of a drug-trafficking racket whereby drugs from Belgium were smuggled into Malta to supply the local market.
A first consignment had been effected in April but although monitored by the police, the illicit activity did not lead to any arrests, since investigations were still ongoing. Unfortunately, that consignment was not intercepted by the police and therefore ended up in the Maltese drug market.
The couple were finally apprehended in June when, during a second visit after arriving on board the catamaran from Sicily, the man was seen handing over a bag, later found to contain drugs, to a Maltese taxi driver.
Jason Mamo, 37, from Birkirkara, and Mario Vella, 41, from Safi, both taxi drivers, are currently undergoing separate proceedings after pleading not guilty to their alleged involvement in the racket.
During proceedings, the couple admitted that they had been paid €10,000 for the first delivery in April and had been promised an equal amount for the second job.
When deciding upon punishment, Madame Justice Edwina Grima observed that it could not ignore various aggravating circumstances, such as the amount of drugs which totalled 14kg of cocaine of 55% purity and a kilogram of cannabis, the couple’s significant role in the drug chain and the fact that this was not a solitary incident.
On the other hand, the fact that the accused admitted at an early stage of the proceedings and assisted the police in the apprehension and prosecution of third parties involved in this drug chain, were to serve as mitigating factors.
“The court cannot ignore the fact that both accused on two separate occasions had agreed to transport dangerous drugs into Malta and this in large quantities, without taking into account the damage to be inflicted on Maltese society, mainly young people who are led into drug addiction and will therefore find the drug readily available for sale on the market thanks to people like accused who for their own personal gain agree to bring drugs to Malta,” the court concluded.