A man was yesterday jailed for two years and fined Lm1,000 after he was found guilty of heroin possession and trafficking within 100 metres from the Fgura bocci club which is frequented by young people.

Emanuel Vella, 32, from Fgura, was jailed for two years after he was found guilty of heroin possession and trafficking on and before May 2004.

The court heard how Vella was caught in possession of eight sachets containing heroin close to the Fgura bocci club. The court also heard the testimony of a man who said that he had purchased drugs from the accused on several occasions. This witness told the court that when he was stopped by the police in possession of heroin, he had said he had purchased the heroin from the accused and had purchased drugs for him for five months.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera said Vella had been found guilty of drug possession in the past, apart from other crimes, and had also been jailed. However, she said, it seemed that Vella did not learn anything from these experiences and therefore jailed him for two years and ordered him to pay a Lm1,000 fine.

Police inspector Pierre Grech prosecuted.