Officer recounts chase in drugs operation

A court yesterday heard how a 19-year-old boy, charged with trafficking in ecstasy, threw away a bag containing pills as he ran away from the police in a chase near the Junior College in Msida.

Police Constable Joseph Campbell told Magistrate Tonio Micallef Trigona how, on October 22, Inspector Pierre Grech had instructed him to go to the Junior College in view of information of an impending drug deal. Drugs were to be handed over to a certain Bjorn Formosa who cooperated with the police and was in fact taken to the college by the police themselves.

When PC Campbell arrived near the college, at about 6.30 p.m., he noticed the accused, Andrè Falzon, walk towards Mr Formosa.

When the officer, who was in plain clothes, approached Mr Falzon and said the word "police", Mr Falzon pushed him aside and sprinted off in the direction of Msida. PC Campbell gave chase and noticed him take something out of his trousers and throw it by the side of the road.

The constable chased Mr Falzon all the way down to the bus stop in Msida but lost sight of him when he ran through the crowd of people waiting for the bus.

In the meantime, another police officer picked up the plastic bag which Mr Falzon had thrown on the ground. It contained several smaller bags filled with pills.

Police Sergeant Antoine Micallef explained that during a search in Mr Falzon's bedroom the police found a diary and counterfeit money.

Mr Falzon, of St Paul's Bay, is pleading not guilty to conspiring to traffic in drugs, trafficking in ecstasy and being in possession of 346 ecstasy tablets.

He is also pleading not guilty to the possession of heroin and violently resisting the police.

Police Inspector Grech is prosecuting.

Lawyer Franco Debono is defence counsel.