A 32 year old man who was trafficking drugs to make a living will spend the next seven years in prison after he pleaded guilty and was convicted of one charge of unlawful possession of illicit drugs.

Judge Justice Paul Madigan took his sentencing starting point as 8 years but reduced it to seven years after Naisa Vunibobo's guilty plea and his time in remand.

The court heard that on 27th March 2007 in Draiba Village, Vunibobo was acting suspiciously and upon conducting a search, a police officer found small parcels of dried leaves wrapped in a cloth in a bag.

The leaves were sent to the Government Chemist for analysis where it was certified to be cannabis.

Vunibobo told the court that he was in great financial hardship making a living in a remote area and that he has learnt his lesson by being in remand for three months.

Justice Madigan said that the drugs were in a large amount and was being taken to Sigatoka market for commercial sale which also posed a risk to the young people of Viti Levu.

Story by: Praneeta Deo