Four men – two Maltese and two Spaniards – were yesterday remanded in custody following a drugs haul over the weekend.

This involved some 3.5 kilograms of cannabis grass, 500 grams of cocaine, 300 grams of heroin and a small amount of cannabis resin.

Police investigations are still under way and a fifth man is expected to be charged in the coming days.

In front of Magistrate Aaron Bugeja, Police Inspector Malcolm Bondin charged a Maltese man with cocaine possession and trafficking, possession of cocaine and heroin in circumstances denoting they were not for his personal use and possession of a firearm and ammunition.

The man, whose name and details cannot be published by court order, was also accused of disobeying police orders.

He pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody despite his lawyer’s pleas to put him under house arrest to look after his foreign wife and one-and-a-half-year-old daughter.

Jason Grima, 31, from St Paul’s Bay, separately denied charges of conspiracy to traffic cannabis, selling cannabis grass and possession of cannabis with intent to traffic.

Inspector Bondin also arraigned two Spanish men who arrived in Malta on a catamaran and were allegedly found in possession of 1.5 kilos of cannabis hidden in a suitcase with a false bottom.

The men are Unai Lacelle Zumeta, 40, and Jose Ramon Garate Lasarte, 52. They were charged with conspiracy to traffic cannabis, importing the drug and selling it as well as possession of cannabis with intent to traffic.

They also pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them. All men had their assets frozen.

Lawyers Gabrielle Buttigieg and Martin Fenech appeared for the accused.