Suspect swallows part of apartment key to stop police search

A man who police suspected was involved in drug dealing swallowed half the key of his apartment to prevent the police from searching it, a court was told today.

Police Inspector Victor Aquilina said during the arraignment of Jean Claude Cassar, 34, of St Paul’s Bay that the accused had been unhelpful. At the time of his arrest the police did not know exactly where he lived. When they started questioning him, he broke his apartment key in half and swallowed part of it.

Mr Cassar stands accused of trafficking in cocaine, possession of cocaine and heroin in circumstances denoting it was not for his own use, assaulting, threatening and disobeying a police sergeant and a constable.

He pleaded not guilty and was denied bail.