A 30-year-old unemployed man from Pembroke has been charged with trafficking 1.5 kilograms of cannabis resin following a police raid yesterday in an Msida apartment.

€21,000 in cash and a firearm were also found in a safe.

Nicholas Vella, who was arrested during the raid and is well known to the police, was also accused of illegal possession of a firearm, relapsing and breaching a probation ordered handed down by another court, as recently as last January.

He pleaded not guilty. 

During bail submissions the defence pointed out that during police interrogation Mr Vella had identified the owner of the drug consignment. For these reasons there was little risk of any tampering of evidence, the defence said.

The prosecution objected to bail due to the seriousness of the charges. Moreover, it said that investigations were still underway to determine the source of the cash found during the raid.

Magistrate Monica Vella granted bail to the accused, against a €7,000 deposit and a personal guarantee of €15,000. The accused was also ordered to remain indoors between 9pm and 7am and to report to the police station three times a week.

The court upheld the prosecution's request for the freezing of the defendant's assets, bar the minimum established by law.

Lawyers Jason Azzopardi and Kris Busietta were defence counsel.