Two gaming company employees denied bail on drug smuggling charges

Two iGaming workers have been remanded in custody after denying charges of importing 3kg of cannabis using a mail courier.

In separate arraignments this morning, Police Inspector Mark Anthony Mercieca charged Ahmed Wali Askarzada from Afghanistan and  Chariton Papadas from Greece with importing cannabis grass, possession in circumstances denoting the drugs were not for personal use and complicity in importing cannabis grass. Askarzada alone was also charged with selling the drug.

Following the interception of the 3kg package yesterday, police are understood to have attempted to carry out a controlled delivery, only to find the address specified on the package was in fact a building site.

First to be arraigned before Magistrate Gabriella Vella was 34-year-old Ahmed Wali Askarzada, from Afghanistan. Askarzada, who enjoys legal residency in Malta, did not cooperate during interrogation, refusing even to give police his address, the inspector said.

Lawyer Simon Stafrace, appointed legal aid defence counsel to Askarzada, asked the inspector to explain the circumstances which led to the arrests.

Inspector Mercieca had been contacted after Customs officers discovered “a green substance thought to be cannabis” inside a package. The package had been addressed to a building that the courier found to be still under construction, under a fake name.

Investigators had a lucky break, however, after customs officers informed them that the accused was at the courier company’s offices, complaining that he hadn’t received the package. The police immediately went on site and found Askarazada, taking him into custody.

Further investigations revealed that Askarzada had also paid a third party €100 to collect the parcel, said the inspector.

Two addresses were subsequently searched. One of them was a construction site in Zurrieq and the other building, which was listed as accused’s residence, was found to have been vacated by him 6 months ago. A garage rented by the accused was found to contain drug trafficking paraphernalia, as well as a vehicle belonging to the accused.

Askarza, 34, who said he was an iGaming employee told the court that he had “no permanent address” in Malta. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. Bail was not requested at this stage.

Second to be arraigned in connection with the drugs seizure was Chariton Papadas, a 30 year-old Greek national resident in Swieqi. Stafrace asked to be replaced by another legal aid lawyer, pointing out to the court that he could not advise Papadas, due to a potential conflict of interest, him having just represented his accomplice.

After a few phonecalls, lawyer Daniel Attard stepped up and took over the brief.

Papadas, an iGaming customer support officer, was charged with importation and possession of cannabis in circumstances which denoted that the drugs were not intended for his personal use.

Attard entered a not guilty plea and requested bail.

The prosecution objected to bail, citing possible links to organised crime links and the ongoing investigation. Police were still carrying out searches at various properties and there was also the fear of the accused absconding, due to his lack of ties to the island. He could also make contact with persons of interest in the investigation, argued the inspector.

For the defence, Attard argued that the accused had cooperated with the police and had a stable residence in Malta, adding that his client contributes to the Maltese economy and had an untainted criminal record. “We understand that there are no civilian witnesses in this case, so the fear of him disturbing the evidence is non-existent at this stage,” submitted the lawyer.

The magistrate disagreed, however, denying bail in view of the fact that the accused appeared to be involved in an organised crime group and because investigations were still ongoing. “There is the possibility of tampering with evidence and therefore at this stage, it would be premature to grant the accused bail,” ruled the court.