Two brothers were each jailed for four-and-a-half years and fined €10,000 for drug trafficking and money laundering.

Magistrate Miriam Hayman also ordered the confiscation of their cars - a BMW and a Mitsubishi Pajero - after ruling that even though they were registered on their father's name she had no doubt that they were bought with drug money.

The magistrate noted that the brothers were unemployed and lived on social benefits that amounted to €91.55 weekly. Yet they managed to afford expensive cars and a witness had said that one of them, Freddie Delia, had bought a BMW Z4 in cash for €24,000.

Coincidentally, she said in an sarcastic tone, all the cars they used were registered on their father or others. These cars included a Daihatsu Terios.

Mr Delia, 36, and his brother Roderick, 33, from Zabbar were found guilty of trafficking in heroin and cocaine and money laundering between February and June 2010.

The court heard several witnesses say they bought drugs from the accused.

On June 1, 2010, police were surveilling the brothers' houses and noticed Roderick Delia drive off in the Pajero and, when they followed him, they saw him sell drugs.

When they went to his brother's house they waited outside for some 20 minutes during which time Freddie Delia started shouting from the window that they would never find what they were looking for.

On entering the house police found a pot with burning items inside in the yard.

This eventually turned out to have traces of drugs as did a €20 note found in his house.