The police said today that five men were arrested for drug possession on Saturday night.

The arrests were made by the Drugs Squad in a series of raids and searches.

The men are three Maltese and two Spaniards who are between 41 and 53-years-old.

The operation yielded 3.5 kilogrammes of cannabis grass, 500 grammes of cocaine, 300 grammes of heroin, a small amount of cannabis resin, two firearms and cash.

Later today Police Inspector Malcolm Bondin charged a Maltese man before Magistrate Aaron Bugeja, accusing him of cocaine trafficking and possession, possession of cocaine and heroin in circumstances denoting they were not for his personal use and possession of a firearm and ammunition.

The man, who 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 for her client to be placed 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, was charged separately with conspiracy to traffic cannabis, selling cannabis grass and possession of cannabis with intent to traffic. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody.

Inspector Bondin also arraigned two Spanish men who arrived in Malta on a catamaran and were allegedly found in possession of 1.5 kilogrammes of cannabis which was 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 into Malta and selling it as well as possession of cannabis with intent to traffic.

They also pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them and were remanded in custody.