Arraigned over drug trafficking after surveillance operation

A man was arrested on drug trafficking charges after the police stopped and searched people on their way to his Qormi residence to buy drugs, a magistrate heard yesterday.

Brian Mangion, 41 from Qormi is pleading not guilty to charges of trafficking and being in possession of 40 grammes of cannabis and heroin. He also pleaded not guilty to relapsing.

He was held after a number of people were seen going to his residence to buy drugs, Police Inspector Victor Aquilina, prosecuting, said in court.

Officers from the Drugs Squad saw two people entering Mr Mangion’s residence and leaving soon after on March 16. They were followed and stopped in Żurrieq where they were found to be in possession of 10 grams of cannabis Mr Aquilina told Magistrate Myriam Hayman. One of the men, known as Il-Kaiser, told the police he bought the drugs from Qormi, the court heard.

The next day, the police saw another three men going to Mr Mangion’s house – Dylan Mallia, Clayton Schembri and Leon Caruana. When stopped by the police, they admitted they had bought drugs from Mr Mangion, Mr Aquilina said.

The police then raided Mr Mangion’s residence where they found four bags of cannabis hidden in an oven, cannabis resin in a microwave and heroin in his bedroom. They also found other drug-related items.

Police Inspector Jesmond Borg also prosecuted.

Lawyers Giannella Caruana Curran and Joseph Giglio appeared for Mr Mangion.