577 charged with drug trafficking since 2012

577 people were charged in court with trafficking drugs between 2012 and 2015, home affairs minister Carmelo Abela revealed.

Responding to a parliamentary question by shadow economy minister Claudio Grech, the minister said that 170 alleged drug traffickers were charged in court in 2012, 152 in 2013, 123 in 2014, and 132 in 2015.

In response to a separate PQ, Abela revealed that 86 of these were caught selling drugs in entertainment venues. Only 18 people were caught selling drugs in such venues in the previous four years – between 2008 and 2011.