A Mexican man was this morning jailed for 13 years after he admitted in court to importing over 1.5 kilogrammes of cocaine into Malta in September 2006 when customs officials at the airport found the drug in a false bottom of his luggage. He was also fined €30,000.

Yanez Pinon Miguel Angel admitted importing the drug and conspiring to deal in it during what was to be the beginning of his trial by jury, before Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono.

The bill of indictment, which he admitted to, stated that he left Mexico on September 10, 2006, and arrived in Malta the following day via Amsterdam. On arrival at the airport Customs officials searched his luggage and found about 1.5 kilos of cocaine which had a value of about €130,000.

Way back in 2006 he was one of four foreigners arraigned after police cracked down on what they believed was drug trafficking circle originating in Mexico. A total of three kilogrammes of cocaine were seized by Customs and police, estimated to be worth over €232,000 at street value.

On handing down judgement the judge noted that Mr Angel had a clean criminal record noting that, it could not be otherwise since he had just landed in Malta when he was arrested. The judge also noted that the accused had pleaded guilty at the beginning of his trial. However, this could not be taken as an early guilty plea since it was over three years after his arraignment.

He could not ignore the detrimental effect on society, especially on young people, that such drug importation had. This could not be taken lightly and the message was to be that the iron fist of the law would be used in such cases.