Two remanded in custody on drug charges

A mini-bus driver was this afternoon remanded in custody after he pleaded not guilty to trafficking and being in possession of cocaine and cannabis resin.

Antoine Azzopardi 34, from Mtarfa denied trafficking in and possessing cocaine and cannabis resin on and before July 27. Magistrate Silvio Meli granted a request by Police Inspector Pierre Grech for Mr Azzopardi’s assets to be frozen.

In a request for bail, defence lawyer Arthur Azzopardi told the court that his client has a clean police record and has never had a court case before. After taking into consideration the fact that if found guilty Mr Azzopardi was facing up to 10 years in jail, the magistrate ordered the accused to be remanded him in custody.

In another case, Mohamed Abdala Haybe, 43, a Somali resident in London was remanded in custody after being accused of importation of the drug Khat with intent to traffic. He denied the charges.