A waiter and two businessmen yesterday denied importing five kilograms of cannabis from Sicily, which was found in a car they were travelling in on Thursday night.

The three Sicilians, Claudio di Bella, 30, a waiter, Alfio Strano, 48, and Fernando Rubino, 54, both businessmen, all from Catania, were stopped in Paceville after arriving in Malta by ferry.

During their arraignments yesterday, police inspector Gabriel Micallef told Magistrate Miriam Hayman that the men had been to Malta multiple times and it was believed their trips were all drug-related.

The men pleaded not guilty to conspiring to import and importing cannabis and being in possession of the drug in circumstances that denote it was not their exclusive use.

Lawyers Martin Fenech and Cedric Mifsud requested bail while Inspector Micallef objected to them being released from custody on the grounds that they had no ties to the islands.

Magistrate Hayman remanded them in custody.

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