Wiping away tears on his light grey sweater, a 25-year-old man stood in the dock next to another man as they both pleaded not guilty to importing over 21,000 ecstasy pills on Monday.

Matthew Bajada, 25, of Sta Venera and Joseph Camilleri, 53, of Rabat were arraigned on drug charges after they were arrested on Monday when police allegedly found the pills and 570 grammes of cocaine in a van at Grand Harbour soon after it came off a ship.

They both denied conspiring to deal in cocaine and ecstasy, importing the drugs, possession with the intent to sell and relapsing.

As the charges were read out in court, Mr Bajada sobbed silently, except for the occasional sniff.

Mr Camilleri was seen whispering to him and, on noticing this, Magistrate Silvio Meli told the two to step away from each other. He ordered Mr Camilleri not to utter another word.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the police explained how the two men were arrested after Drugs Squad police and Customs officers stopped the van which arrived on a ship that had left from Genoa and stopped in Tunis.

Mr Camilleri was driving with Mr Bajada as passenger. A thorough search yielded 10 plastic bags full of the pills hidden behind wooden panels.

The two men were remanded in custody.

Police Inspector Jesmond Borg prosecuted.

Lawyers Joseph Giglio and Robert Abela appeared for the two men.