VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – A 44-year-old Bosnian man has been remanded in custody after allegedly attempting to smuggle 35 kilograms of cocaine into Malta from Sicily.
The drugs, with an estimated street value of €4.5 million, were reportedly discovered hidden inside a secret compartment in the man’s vehicle shortly after he arrived on a Virtu Ferries catamaran from Pozzallo.
Customs officials became suspicious of the man’s behaviour upon disembarkation at the Grand Harbour and requested police assistance.
The suspect was escorted along with his vehicle for further inspection before being arrested.
Police later dismantled the vehicle at the Police garage in Floriana, where investigators allegedly uncovered the concealed compartment containing multiple packages of suspected cocaine.
Members of the Forensic Science Unit collected the drugs for analysis, while Magistrate Joseph Mifsud was appointed to lead a magisterial inquiry.
The sospect was arraigned before Magistrate Jean Paul Grech and charged with the importation, trafficking and aggravated possession of cocaine. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The court denied bail after the defence made no request for release and ordered the freezing of the accused’s assets. The sospect will remain at the Corradino Correctional Facility as investigations continue.
– photo Malta Police –
(ITALPRESS).
