Girl, 3, watched her mother taking cocaine

A three-year-old girl has been taken into care after she was exposed to her Spanish mother taking cocaine in a house she shared with her Maltese boyfriend, a Police Inspector said yesterday

The couple – Yoana Abella Sanz, 31, and 21-year-old Clayton Delia – were arrested in a raid on the house in Żejtun on Wednesday evening.

The raid followed police surveillance carried out on Julio Polanco, 36, from the Dominican Republic, who was seen arriving at the house by taxi.

A kilogram of cocaine was seized from the house.

Another man, Orazio Grixti, 29 of Gudja was also arrested in the raid.

All four are pleading not guilty to trafficking in cocaine. Ms Sanz and Mr Polanco were also charged with importing the drug while Mr Grixti was charged with possession, charges they deny.

During the arraignment, Police Inspector Victor Aquilina said that the three-year-old daughter of Ms Sanz had witnessed her mother taking drugs in front of her.

A care order had been issued and she was being kept at Angela House where she would be safe, he said. Her father was in Spain facing drug abuse charges, he added.

Lawyers Michael and Lucio Sciriha told the court that their client, Mr Delia, had been infatuated by Ms Sanz and he moved into the house with her. In his naïvety he had not known that there was drug trafficking going on.

All four were remanded in custody. Lawyers José Herrera and Veronique Dalli also appeared for the accused.