A man found guilty of human smuggling will no longer have to pay a fine of €23,230 but was jailed for 18 months by an appeals court.

Reuben Galea, 35, was fined €23,290 after he was found guilty of smuggling three Chinese and two Libyan men in 2004.

The Attorney General filed an appeal arguing the punishment was not within the parameters of the law and did not reflect the gravity of the case.

He pointed out that Mr Galea had five people on his speedboat which meant that he should have been given a prison sentence.

Presiding over the Court of Criminal Appeal, Chief Justice Vincent De Gaetano pointed out that the Attorney General’s arguments were right. Human trafficking was a serious crime as people took advantage from the misery of others, unnecessarily putting them in danger.

As a result, Chief Justice De Gaetano revoked the fine and jailed Mr Galea for 18 months.