30-month sentence for man caught with heroin outside the detox centre

A court has jailed a man from Safi for 30 months, also fining him €2,000 after he was found guilty of possession of heroin with intent to traffic.

Magistrate Marseann Farrugia heard Inspector Nezren Grixti explain how 40 year-old Silvano Cilia was arrested loitering outside the detox centre, whilst in possession of nine packets of heroin back in October 2006.

Cilia had been arrested after he had attempted to dispose of a piece of foil containing the drugs as he was approached by the police outside the centre, which treats drug users trying to kick the habit.

He had denied throwing anything away, however subsequent investigations and tests had also found traces of heroin on items recovered from his car and a bag containing heroin was discovered at his place of residence.

Cilia could not give a reason as to why he was outside the detox centre at 6am –an hour before the facility’s opening time. He said that he “always goes that early”, but the Magistrate was unconvinced, holding that there was no logical reason to “spend one hour staring” until the centre opened.

The Magistrate commented that Cilia was unemployed at the time, and therefore was definitely not there early to be first in line so as to be on time for work.

Cilia's sizable criminal record, containing 12 previous convictions for a range of offences, also did not help his case, with the magistrate noting that the accused “had not learned anything from the opportunities afforded him by these courts”.