Heroin trafficker jailed for 18 months

A 42-year-old heroin trafficker, who told a drug buddy that he wanted to reform because he was becoming well-known to the police, has been jailed for 18 months and fined €1,000 after he was found guilty of trafficking heroin in 2008.

John Mary Axiaq, of Zabbar, was also found guilty of being in possession of the drug, and of relapsing.

The case dates back to April 14, 2008, when police had received a tip-off that six people were abusing of drugs in the accused’s residence in Triq il-Kbira, Zabbar. Inside, the police found 14 empty sachets of heroin and other drug paraphernalia.

Moreover, police spotted the accused and five other persons, including Keith Gauci and Brian Busuttil. In their testimony, Gauci and Busuttil told the court that the accused had sold them heroin.

The court also heard that Gauci used to buy between two and three sachets of heroin every week and that this amounted to roughly 48 sachets of heroin in six months.

Gauci said that one time, the accused told him that he wanted to stop abusing of drugs because he was becoming well-known to the police due to his popularity with drug users.

Dismissing the accused’s plea that the drugs were for his personal use, the court, presided by Magistrate Marseann Farrugia, argued that it was clear that the accused had been dealing drugs.

Consequently, the court said that since the law is heavy-handed against drug traffickers, it had no choice but to jail him.

In her judgment, the magistrate jailed Axiaq for 18 months and fined him €1,000, and ordered that he undergoes a drug rehabilitation programme.

Police Inspector Fabian Fleri prosecuted.