A man who admitted to trafficking drugs to fuel his own addiction was jailed and fined after he pleaded guilty upon his arraignment on Tuesday.

Robert Spiteri, a 50-year-old Valletta resident, was arrested by officers from the Drugs Squad after he was caught red-handed in the act of selling drugs to a third party, who was also taken into police custody, on Monday.

Sachets found in the trafficker’s yielded some two grams of synthetic drugs which the man confessed were his means of sustaining his own addiction.

Upon his arraignment, the accused pleaded guilty to possessing and trafficking psychotropic drugs, possession of heroin, and committing the offences within 100 metres of a place frequently visited by youths.

The man was further charged with being a relapser.

“The charges are what they are. There’s also the charge of relapsing,” prosecuting Inspector Mark Mercieca pointed out when making submissions on punishment.

In the light of the accused’s early guilty plea, the court, presided over by magistrate Doreen Clarke, condemned the man to an 18-month jail term and a €500 fine payable within a year, after taking note of his full cooperation with the police.

The court also ordered the confiscation and destruction of the drugs seized in the search and arrest.

Lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace was legal aid defence counsel.