An Albanian national admitted to importing cocaine and was sentenced to four and a half years in prison after Judge Consuelo Scerri Herrera accepted a plea bargain agreement reached with the prosecution.

The 42-year old, Sotir Hoxhaj, has no fixed residence in Malta. He was charged with importing cocaine, passport falsification and use of forged documents.

On, 10 November 2022, Hoxhaj planned to clandestinely import cocaine into Malta for the purpose of trafficking. Customs officers, together with members of courier company UPS, carried out an inspection on a parcel originating from Belgium. The package was addressed to a Guzeppe Liparo, and was to be delivered to an apartment in Gżira.

During the inspection, the officials discovered a package wrapped in black plastic, which contained a whitish substance. The substance later tested positive for cocaine. 

Police obtained authorisation to carry out a controlled delivery. The drug was removed and replaced with similar material. The parcel was then delivered to an individual who presented an Italian identification document in the name Guzeppe Laparo. The recipient, who was identified as the accused, signed for the package and was subsequently arrested.

A court forensic pharmacist later confirmed the substance had a weight of 257g and a purity of around 66%. 

With regards to the falsification charge, the court noted that the identity presented during the controlled delivery did not match the accused's true identity.

The accused's mobile phone was seized and an expert was appointed to extract its contents. According to the expert's report, the accused had received multiple false documents through digital messages from an unknown third party. These included identity cards bearing the accused's face but stating a different name. The court stated that the false identity card was used to secure the release of a cocaine consignment intended for trafficking.

Hoxhaj admitted to the charges during a sitting in November. The court indicated it would accept a plea agreement reached between the parties given the quantity of drugs involved.

A joint application was filed by the Attorney General, where the accused requested the court to find him guilty of all charges and impose an agreed punishment after a plea bargaining agreement was reached. In February 2026, the accused reconfirmed his admission.

In determining sentence, the court noted the prosecution's submission that the punishment was based on the type of drug, the high purity (66%), and the quantity involved (257g).

Judge Consuelo Scerri Herrera accepted the plea agreement and sentenced Hoxhaj to four and a half years of effective imprisonment and a €7,000 fine, payable within one year. The court also ordered him to pay €2,344 in expert costs. 

The court further ordered confiscation of the drugs and confiscation of any money or other movable or immovable property belonging to the convicted person.

Lawyer Dustin Camilleri appeared for Hoxhaj.