TWO months after a friend was stopped for importing heroin, Francois de Garis was implicated. The Royal Court heard yesterday that forensic analysis of the package containing 7.62g of the drug had traces of his DNA.

The 26-year-old was jailed for a total of five years and 11 months for the importation and also possession of heroin and cannabis on other occasions.

The accused had paid for him and friend Eduardo da Silva to travel to the UK in November.

When they returned by ferry two days later, his friend was caught with a package containing the drug concealed internally.

De Garis initially denied any knowledge, but was trapped by the scientific evidence. He was remanded in custody, but did not admit his involvement until late April.

Da Silva was sentenced to five years in prison in March.

‘Having paid for all the travel and expenses and leaving him to carry the drugs through Customs, the seriousness of your involvement is greater,’ said Deputy Bailiff Richard Collas.

De Garis pleaded guilty to additional counts of drug possession.

Some 0.642g of heroin was found at his home at the time of his first arrest and at a second raid in late December, 0.312g of heroin was found in the jeans he was wearing and a small lump of cannabis in his bedroom.

The final charge related to a quantity of heroin he was seen to swallow while he was being strip-searched during the second raid.

He later passed a package containing 1.243g.

De Garis had been on remand since.

The court heard that he had a previous conviction for possession of a controlled drug in 1995.