Snack bar owner gets six years for supplying cocaine

The owner of an Għajnsielem snack bar has been sentenced to six years in prison for supplying patrons at her establishment with cocaine.

Susan Bugeja, 45, was charged with supplying and distributing cocaine at Jumbo’s Snack Bar, which she owns. She was also charged with the aggravated possession of illegal substances, as well as selling the drug in the vicinity of a school.

The case dates back to the summer of 2013 when the police received a call saying that someone was supplying cocaine at Jumbo’s Snack Bar in Għajnsielem.

A witness claimed that two people entered the accused’s bar and both left within five minutes of them entering. One of them was intercepted by the police at Victoria in Gozo. Two suspected bags of cocaine were found by the officers.

Police started surveilling the bar and would see Bugeja occasionally leave the bar, crossing the street and pass out packets of cigarettes to people stopping their car.

Over the course of a few days, the police intercepted several individuals who had left the bar and in most cases they found that these individuals were in possession of sachets containing suspected cocaine.

Police then searched the snack bar and found a metal box in which was a packet of Rothmans Blue that contained several sachets of cocaine. On the toilet tank cover inside the establishment, police found traces of cocaine as well.

Police also found a magnet attached to the electricity meter in the basement.

Several witnesses interrogated by the police confirmed to buying cocaine off the snack bar owner.

The prosecution told the court that the accused admitted to procuring and selling drugs and that she had fully cooperated with the police.

From the compilation of evidence, the court declared that it was convinced that the accused had been supplying drugs to various clients who came to her bar.

“There are no conflicts in the testimonies of the police. The consistent narrative is believable, cocaine was found on the premises and the substantial amount of money found on the accused continues to reinforce the allegation that Bugeja was selling cocaine,” the court said.

“While it understands that the accused might have been going through tough times due to family circumstances, this is no justification for shedding criminal responsibility. By selling drugs to several people, the accused is contributing to their bad habits and subsequently destroying their lives,” it continued.

The court found Bugeja guilty of all charges and sentenced her to six years’ imprisonment and a fine of €5,000.

It also ordered all the illegal drugs confiscated by the police to be destroyed.

Inspector Charles Bernard Spiteri led the prosecution. Magistrate Joe Mifsud presided over the court.