Five men and a 17-year-old may be facing Christmas behind bars after being remanded in custody yesterday, having been charged with conspiring to traffic in nearly 1,000 ecstasy pills on Saturday.

Matthew Zarb, 22, of Birkirkara, Franklin Orsini, 18, of Marsascala, Mark Anthony Bartolo, 34, of Sta Luċija, Duncan Caruana, 23, of Tarxien and the 17-year-old, who is not being named because he is a minor, pleaded not guilty to the charge and to trafficking and com-mitting the crime within 100 metres of a place frequented by minors.

The sixth person, Joseph Borg, 36, of Valletta was arraigned separately and denied the same charges as well as relapsing.

The men were arrested in two cars following an anonymous tip-off, sources said.

Mr Zarb and Mr Orsini also denied possession of the drug in circumstances which denote it was not for their exclusive use while Mr Caruana denied trying to seriously injure a police officer, damaging a car and relapsing.

The accused were remand-ed in custody. Five of them were accompanied in court by about 30 members of their family.

Police Inspector Johann Fenech prosecuted.

Lawyers Gianella and Gianluca Caruana Curran appeared for Mr Borg, lawyers Joseph Giglio and Steve Tonna Lowell appeared for Mr Orsini, lawyer Franco Debono appeared for Mr Bartolo and lawyers Chris Cardona and Edward Gatt for Mr Zarb, Mr Caruana and the 17-year-old.