An Eritrean man who failed to declare 77 packets of water pipe tobacco was sentenced to two months in prison and slapped with a fine totalling €3,306.

Msgna Khasay, 27, was stopped by customs officials yesterday at the airport after failing to declare the tobacco, which weighed around 19 kilogrammes.

He said he didn't know he had to declare the tobacco and specified it was water pipe tobacco, used for smoking the shisha pipe, as opposed to cigarette tobacco.

Prosecuting officer Jonathan Ferris told magistrate Francesco Depasquale that the man, who resides in Bari, Italy, said that he planned to stay in Malta for between three months to a year.

Asked how he planned to live on the €85 he had on his person, the accused said he was going to live with a friend.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two months in prison and a €3,306.60 fine, portions of which would cover his unpaid import duty and VAT.

The court also ordered the confiscation of the tobacco.