A police inspector this morning told a court how the police, acting on reliable information, tailed a number of men until they made a record discovery of cannabis last week. He also described how the police were then led to a field and a garage where drugs were hidden.

Police inspector Pierre Grech was testifying in the compilation of evidence against Serbians Jovica Kolakovic, 52 and Tomas Mikalauskas, and Kevin Sammut 28 of Swieqi, who were arraigned following the discovery of 469 kilos of cannabis in Madliena and Swieqi on September 8.

The cannabis was found in a hotel room in Swieqi, down a hole in a field in Madliena, in a villa, and at an apartment at nearby Wied Id-Dis, Madliena.

Inspector Grech said police officers posted outside the Green Grove guesthouse in Swieqi had noticed the two Serbian men arrive in a Ford Ka. One of them took a box inside the guesthouse. The two were later arrested and a search inside their room revealed four cardboard boxes containing cannabis grass.

The officers had earlier tailed the Ford Ka as it was driven behind a white pick-up van which was later found to belong to Mr Sammut. They had driven to Madliena and later to the Green Grove.

Several police officers posted in Swieqi and Madliena had seen the white pick-up being driven to a villa in Madliena and Mr Sammut had gone inside. Another white pick-up later also turned up and Mr Sammut's brother also went inside. It turned up that they were doing gardening work for the foreign owner, who was not involved in this case.

At one time Mr Sammut's brother , Jonathan came out and placed a cardboad box in Kevin Sammut's van and they drove away.

Later that day Kevin Sammut drove up to the Green Grove.

He was later arrested at his mother's house and immediately started to cooperate.

He told the police that he knew where more drugs were hidden and took them to the field in Madliena. He also showed that a false wall in the garage of the Madliena villa. In all 28 sacks of cannabis grass and a few slabs of cannabis resin were recovered. Other boxes containing drugs were found on shelves in the garage.

At this time, court proceedings were continued behind closed doors in view of evidence which could affect ongoing investigations.