A Polish man caught in the act of importing a kilo of cocaine two years ago was jailed nine-and-a half years and fined €23,000.

Patryk Henryk Stawicki, 25, had been facing criminal proceedings over the illegal importation and aggravated possession of the drug.

The man had been arrested upon his arrival at Malta International Airport after being checked by officers from the Drugs Squad and customs, who had discovered 100 capsules of cocaine in his possession.

These amounted to 957 grams of the substance.

Four months later, in the course of compilation proceedings before the Magistrates’ Court, the accused had registered an admission, bringing into play a legal mechanism whereby
the Attorney General and the defence counsel could request the Criminal Court to mete out punishment agreed upon between the parties.

The Criminal Court, presided over by Mr Justice Giovanni Grixti, in view of the amount of drugs involved and also the punishment handed down by local and foreign courts, upheld the parties’ joint application.

It further ordered the confiscation of the accused’s property, movable and immovable, as well as destruction of the drug.