Two men arrested on Thursday in two separate cannabis hauls were remanded in custody on Friday after pleading not guilty to drug-related charges during successive arraignments.

James Micallef, a 25-year-old Birkirkara resident, was stopped by police at the wheel of his car and was found to be carrying some five kilos of cannabis resin, which had allegedly just been collected from another man, leading the police to the second and larger haul.

A visit to a farmhouse in the limits of Mosta led to the arrest of Leo Galea, 40, in whose possession the police discovered some 10 kilos of cannabis resin and two unlicensed revolvers.

Both men were charged with conspiracy to traffic drugs, trafficking cannabis resin as well as possession of the drug in circumstances denoting that it was not intended for personal use.

Mr Galea was also charged with the unlicensed possession of the weapons.

Mr Micallef was further charged with having breached two earlier bail decrees, the first granted in 2017 in relation to proceedings for the possession of 100 grams of cocaine and the second, delivered in June 2018 in proceedings related to the alleged possession of over 100 kilos of cannabis.

Both men on Friday pleaded not guilty and requested bail, which was denied by the court, presided over by magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras.

The court issued freezing orders upon all assets of both accused.

Inspector Frank Anthony Tabone prosecuted. Lawyer Gianluca Caruana Curran was counsel to Mr Micallef. Lawyers Edward Gatt and Ishmael Psaila were counsel to Mr Galea.