An unnamed mother of five arrested in the raids which landed drug kingpin Jordan Azzopardi behind bars has been granted bail.

The 30-year-old woman was arrested in March after she exited a Madliena apartment having parted company, earlier on, with Mr Azzopardi who was subsequently arrested at a McDonald’s car park in Għargħur.

On that same evening, a police surveillance team trailing the suspected drug lord who had been driving a black Skoda, making various stops at shops in the Sliema and San Ġwann area, had noticed a woman seated at his side.

Read: Series of thefts linked to drug kingpin, court hears

Upon reaching the Għargħur car park, that woman, later identified as the mother-of-five, had driven away in another vehicle, making her way to Madliena with investigators on her tracks.

She was eventually arrested as she re-emerged from the residence, the key to which was discovered in her possession.

The woman was arraigned alongside Mr Azzopardi and a third person, 66-year-old Mario Abdilla, who had admitted to his involvement in the fake cash racket, allegedly masterminded by Mr Azzopardi.

Mr Abdilla had been given a three-year effective jail term upon his own admission of guilt.

The woman had pleaded not guilty to being involved in a criminal conspiracy, fraudulently circulating fake cash and defrauding three stores in San Ġwann and Sliema. She was also charged with cannabis possession.

Meanwhile, as the compilation of evidence continued against Mr Azzopardi and the woman, whose name was banned from publication to safeguard the interests of her children, the defence filed a bail application for each of the co-accused, reserving discussion thereof in respect of Mr Azzopardi to a later stage.

On Friday, the Criminal Court, presided over by Madame Justice Edwina Grima, upheld the application in respect of the young mother, observing that all civilian witnesses, save for one who was currently behind bars, had testified.

Pointing out that this fact had been confirmed by the prosecution, while taking note of the woman’s clean criminal record and the fact that both parties had argued that as a mother of five, the risk of absconding was minimised, the court accorded bail against a deposit of €15,000, a personal guarantee of €30,000, a duty to sign the bail book on a daily basis and to abide by a curfew between 10pm and 6am.

The compilation of evidence continues in June.

Inspectors Mark Anthony Mercieca and Justine Grech are prosecuting. Lawyers Arthur Azzopardi and Alfred Abela are defence counsel.