Man pleads not guilty to importing heroin

A 42-year-old man from Gzira this morning pleaded not guilty to conspiring to traffic, importing and being in possession of heroin in circumstances which denoted the drug was not for his exclusive use.

Almost a kilo of heroin had been found hidden inside an air-conditioning compressor unit that Chris Borg, 42, Gzira, an international truck driver, had been importing. He was remanded in custody.

Police sources said they believed Mr Borg had been importing the drug with his colleague Charles Seychell, who had been charged with the importation of the drugs in June and had also pleaded not guilty.

The two had had split the drugs into two packets, hiding one inside the compressor unit, the other in the indoor unit.

They first sent over the indoor unit and the compressor unit at a later date. This was when the police pounced.