21-year-old Sugeidy Margarita Novas Castillo, who hails from the Domenican Republic but holds a Spanish Identity Card, was this morning charged with conspiring to deal in heroin and ecstasy, importing the drugs, and having them in possession with the intent to sell.

33-year-old Ghanaian Stephen Nana Owusu, who also holds a Spanish Identity Card, was charged with the same crimes but only for heroin.

Both came to Malta on a flight from Brussels on Monday night.

They pleaded not guilty and were remanded in custody.

In a statement, the police said that a kilo of heroin and 3,000 pills, probably ecstasy were found in a false compartment in the woman's luggage.

They said that medical tests at Mater Dei Hospital established that the Ghanaian was carrying more than 74 capsules each containing around 10 grammes of heroin.

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