A fisherman, a taxi driver and three unemployed men yesterday denied smuggling more than one million cigarettes into Malta on a fishing boat.

Michael Borg, 38, from Paola, the owner and captain of the Blue Dolphin 1, taxi driver Robert Agius, 29, from St Paul’s Bay, Anthony Cremona, 42, from Ħamrun, Shannon Cauchi, 23, also of Ħamrun and Paul Anthony Pisani, 42, from Safi, were allegedly caught in Xemxija last Thursday.

To the Government the cigarettes are worth €17,000 in importation tax, €145,500 in customs duty and a further €35,000 in VAT.

Taking the witness stand against the men, a deckhand known as Guznodo said that he had picked up the cigarettes, together with Mr Borg, from a Libyan boat out at sea.

Police Inspector Ian Abdilla said action would not be taken against the witness as there was no evidence to suggest he had the intention to break the law or knew that he was doing so.

Defence lawyer Franco Debono was up in arms over this statement, claiming that such an argument could be used for all the accused, but it was clear that the witness should be charged as an accomplice too.

The deckhand said that he had gone out to sea with Mr Borg three times to bring in cigarettes and on one of these occasions, alcohol as well.

Later in his testimony, after Dr Debono three times insisted he should not testify as he was an accomplice, the witness admitted to stealing cigarettes and hiding in the boat. This led Magistrate Anthony Vella to suspend his testimony until a decision will be taken regarding his involvement.

The men were granted bail against a personal guarantee of €10,000 and a deposit of €1,000.