No bail for man arrested in Paceville carrying ecstasy pills

A 21-year-old Libyan man has been remanded in custody after he was charged with aggravated possession of ecstasy.

Inspector Brian Xuereb arraigned Abdul Rahim Bashar in court under arrest on Friday, charging him with possession of ecstasy pills in circumstances which denoted that they were not exclusively intended for his personal use.

He was arrested after police officers noticed a badly-parked car in Paceville and had gone to speak to the driver. The officers became suspicious when they observed that one of the passengers appeared to be in a highly agitated state. The passenger was searched and nine ecstasy pills were found inside a packet of cigarettes that he had been carrying.

Bashar, who told the court that he has no fixed address in Malta, pleaded not guilty to the charge. 

Lawyer Rene Darmanin, defence counsel to the accused, did not request bail at this stage. Magistrate Noel Bartolo ordered that Bashar be remanded in custody.