Man jailed for five years over 1kg cocaine bust

A man has been jailed for five years and fined €7,000 after he pleaded guilty to conspiring to traffic just under 1kg of cocaine in 2009.

Austin Uche had, in August 2009, conspired with Tony Johnson to distribute approximately 1kg of cocaine to a third person for €20,000.

Uche and Johnson, both from Nigeria, were arrested in Paola that month and found to be carrying a bag containing the cocaine.

In 2013, Johnson had been jailed for nine years and fined €30,000 for his part in the conspiracy.  More recently, Uche had pleaded guilty before the Criminal Court in order to avoid a trial by jury and possible long prison sentence for drug trafficking.

In a sentence handed down today, Mr. Justice Giovanni Grixti jailed Uche for 5 years and fined him €7,000. As happens in drug trafficking cases, all of his moveable and immovable property were confiscated.

The trial by jury of a third man involved in the drug deal is scheduled to take place in summer.

Lawyers Anne Marie Cutajar and Kristina Garilli prosecuted on behalf of the Office of the Attorney General. Lawyer Joseph Mifsud was defence counsel.