A substantial amount of tinned cat food, three Ponsietta plants, ice tea bottles, soft drinks and packets of sweets were among the items bought by a trio with counterfeit €50 notes, a magistrate heard today.
Magistrate Neville Camilleri heard several Gozitan shopkeepers testify how the two men and a woman wearing sunglasses and wigs had gone to their shops and purchased low-value items with the €50 noted which later turned out to be counterfeit.
They were testifying during the compilation of evidence against Jordan Azzopardi, 26 from Iklin, Naomi Tanti, 21 from Birkirkara and Silvio Camilleri, 31 from Birkirkara, who are charged with knowingly making use of counterfeit currency last December. The trio is believed to have made a profit of €500 from the change they received.
Magistrate Camilleri heard Inspector Jonathan Ferris explain how several reports had been filed at the Victoria police station by angry shopkeepers in mid-December. A total of 14 shops had been cheated in the scam, he said.
The police were aided by the fact that one suspicious shopkeeper had jotted down the number plate of the Toyota Auris the three were using. He said he had instructed police to inspect vehicles making the crossing and had been told that the car was spotted in Marsalforn.
The police monitored the area until they raised an apartment where they found Ms Tanti. A search yielded tinned cat food, Ponsietta plants and also cannabis.
Ms Tanti was arrested but did not cooperate with the police. She denied any knowledge of the alleged criminal activity. The inspector said a search on Ms Tanti's Birkirkara apartment yielded a block of cannabis and an amount of white power later confirmed to be cocaine.
Police investigations confirmed that Ms Tanti and Mr Azzopardi has planned to spend the night in Gozo and had rented the flat for this purpose.
When questioned again, Ms Tanti took full responsibility for the drugs recovered from her room, the inspector said as he added that CCTV footage showed that the wigs worn by the scammers had been found in the car. Acting on a tip-off the police arrested Mr Camilleri and took him in for questioning.
Lawyer Arthur Azzopardi, appearing for Mr Azzopardi and Ms Tanti, asked the inspector whether a fourth person was suspected of being involved. The inspector confirmed, pointing out that the flat was originally supposed to be rented by four people.
Inspector Ferris said the police had CCTV images of the three accused dining together at a Gozo restaurant that had also been duped by the fake cash.
The inspector said police had retrieved a paper from the car containing a list of shops with a tick next to them. It turned out that all the shops ticked had been hit by the scam.
The case continues on Tuesday.
Lawyer Noel Bianco appeared for Mr Camilleri.