A 52-year-old man was remanded in custody after he pleaded not guilty to importing cannabis and aggravated possession of the drug.

Sicilian Gaetano Campailla, from Syracuse, arrived in Malta by catamaran from Sicily on Thursday morning.

His car, carrying 10 kilos of cannabis, was detected by a Customs sniffer dog during routine checks. The drug has an estimated street value of €20,000.

The man was charged with trafficking.

Police Inspector Mark Mercieca, prosecuting, told the court a Ford Kuga had been identified as possibly being used for drug smuggling. A fibre optic camera revealed hidden packets of cannabis grass, which were then removed after the door panels were dismantled.

The accused, who was assisted by an interpreter, has no address or ties to Malta.

Lawyer Alfred Abela and Arthur Azzopardi were defence counsel.

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