A Romanian woman has been cleared of smuggling a kilogram of mephadrone, better known as Meow Meow, after a court heard how she was not aware of the contents of the package addressed to her boyfriend. 

Ana Maria Ciocanel, a 26-year-old dancer, had taken delivery of a package containing the controlled substance in a controlled delivery by the Drug Squad, in which a police officer dressed up as a postman. 

Magistrate Miriam Hayman heard Inspector Pierre Grech explain how on March 5, 2011, Customs officers intercepted a package from Prague addressed to a certain Rodney Andrew Molt, who was her boyfriend, with whom she lived. 

A controlled delivery was organised and a policeman posing as a postman delivered a dummy package. Ms Ciocanel accepted delivery of the package, saying her boyfriend had ordered it but he was abroad.  

During her interrogation, she admitted to having previously imported "legal drugs" from Romania, including one called "Flower Magic". In fact, bags containing this drug were found inside the apartment. When examined, it was not found to contain any controlled substance. These, the defendant told police, were simply "to have fun with friends" and as stimulants, to help her get through entire nights of dancing. She said Flower Magic was similar to caffeine. 

Mr Molt, who has since been jailed for six years after admitting to the importation of the Meow Meow drug, testified that his girlfriend, who had moved in with him two weeks before the delivery, knew nothing about the parcel or its contents. 

He told the court that the drug in the parcel was not an order he had made but a "free sample" that had been sent to him prior to ordering. 

Magistrate Hayman ruled that there was no clear evidence that linked Ms Ciocanel to the delivered substance and neither any evidence that she knew of the contents when she accepted it on her boyfriend's behalf, especially since Mr Molt had accepted full responsibility for the package. The magistrate therefore cleared her of the charges brought against her, that included conspiracy to deal in drugs, selling drugs and possession of illegal substances.

Roberto Montalto was defence counsel.