Colombian man jailed 14 months after lost phone exposes drug stash in Msida
A Colombian national was sentenced to 14 months in prison and fined €1,200 after police found drugs at his Msida home, following the discovery of his lost mobile phone.
Lost mobile phone leads police to Colombian drug trafficker in Msida
A Colombian national has been sentenced to 14 months in prison and fined €1,200 after police uncovered a drug trafficking operation at his Msida residence — a case that began with a lost, unlocked mobile phone, maltatoday.com.mt reports.
Manuel Felipe Gomez was found guilty, on his own admission, of charges relating to the possession and trafficking of cocaine, cannabis, ketamine and MDMA. The court ordered that time already spent in preventive custody be deducted from the sentence.
The case dates to April 2025, when officers came across a lost mobile phone. Whilst attempting to identify the owner, police found photographs of drugs on the device, alongside images of Gomez's passport and residence permit. Those images led them directly to him.
Gomez was subsequently arrested at his Msida home, where a search yielded around 150 sachets containing various drugs, including cocaine, cannabis, ketamine and MDMA. He was arraigned shortly afterwards and initially pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and aggravated possession charges.
He reversed his position in June 2026, admitting to all offences. His change of plea came after the prosecution indicated that his cooperation would be taken into account when determining his sentence.
In reaching its decision, the court considered the nature and scale of the offences, the considerable quantity of drugs recovered, and the circumstances of the arrest. It also weighed Gomez's clean criminal record and the sentencing reduction indicated by the prosecution.
Beyond the prison term and fine, Gomez was ordered to pay €19,957 in court-appointed expert expenses, with that sum payable over three years following the completion of his sentence. The court further ordered the destruction of the seized drugs and the confiscation of several items recovered during the investigation.
Magistrate Nadia Vella presided over the case.
Source: Times of Malta