Drug trafficker jailed 16 years for importing 3.5kg of heroin

A 47-year-old man has been sentenced to 16 years in prison and fined €23,000 after admitting to importing 3.5kg of heroin into Malta.

The court ordered that the time Marcin Bieszczad from Poland spent in preventive custody be deducted from his jail term. The court also ruled that if the fine is not paid, it will be converted into an additional prison sentence.

Bieszczad pleaded guilty to charges of importation and aggravated possession of heroin with a purity level of 35%, intended for trafficking and not for personal use.

The court heard that on 19 February 2023, Bieszczad arrived in Malta on a flight from Frankfurt and was stopped by customs officials and police officers for a baggage inspection. During the search, officials became suspicious of a false bottom in his suitcase, which was later found to contain 3.5kg of heroin.

Forensic experts confirmed that the drugs were not intended for personal consumption and had been imported without any licence or authorisation from the Maltese health authorities.

During the sitting held on 8 October 2025, the accused registered a guilty plea, and the court accepted it while noting the seriousness of the offence, the quantity of drugs involved, and the potential harm to society.

The court also ordered Bieszczad to pay €7,369 in expert-related court expenses and ordered the confiscation of all property, movable and immovable, connected to the offence.

The seized heroin is to be destroyed under the supervision of the Registrar within 15 days of the sentence.

The case was presided over by Judge Natasha Galea Sciberras.