Bakoush and Nazwan told boy, 7, to throw away drugs when police raided house

Judith Bakoush and Murat Nazwan had instructed the former's seven-year-old son to throw away drug sachets if police raided their Valletta property, a court has been told.

The boy was found by police during a recent raid on two properties in Valletta, which led to drug trafficking charges being filed against Bakoush and Nazwan.

The boy later told officers that his mother and her partner had told him to discard the sachets if the police ever entered the property.

This emerged from testimony delivered by inspectors from the police Drugs Squad as the compilation of evidence against Bakoush and Nazwan continued on Wednesday. 

The pair are accused of trafficking cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin and marijuana, from a property in Valletta, as well as money laundering.

Inspector Kevin Pulis testified first as the compilation of evidence against the couple continued before Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras.

The police had been observing the accused’s residence in Old Hospital Street for some time, he said, gathering information on drug trafficking and usury, after receiving information that Bakoush was illegally lending money at high interest rates. 

Surveillance indicated that known drug abusers with criminal records would regularly visit the property for short periods of time. 

At some point, Bakoush’s mother and her brother also resided at the address, said the inspector. 

The decision to raid the property was taken after an arrest warrant was issued by a magistrate and was planned to take place while the pair were signing their bail book at the Valletta police station. 

Murat and Bakoush arrived at the Valletta police station on a motorcycle, where they were informed that they were under arrest and accompanied to the residence.

Bakoush laughing "like king carnival"

The testimony was briefly interrupted when the magistrate had to tell Bakoush to stop “laughing like she’s king Carnival,” warning her that the hearing could continue in her absence. 

The court was told how Drugs squad and RIU officers had to use breaching tools and bolt-cutters to gain access to the Valletta residence, as the entrances were all locked and blocked with metal bars.  

Bakoush’s seven-year-old son was found sitting on the bed and “looked as if he had just thrown something away,” the court was told.

Child in State care

Inspector Mark Anthony Mercieca testified that the child had been spotted throwing a package, later found to contain drugs, underneath the folding bed. He was handed over to social services agency Appoġġ. 

“He was crying. He told the police that Nazwan had told him to throw [the drugs] away,” said the inspector. Probed further, the child had told the police that he had thrown the package under a foldable bed as he had been told to do by his 'parents' should the police ever visit their house.  

The boy is now in State care after a care order was issued.

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Two safes, gold and cash

An intensive search was carried out in the presence of the accused, which recovered several sachets of a white substance suspected to be synthetic drugs. Gold items and a safe were also found there. 

Inside the couple’s bedroom, police discovered two safes, which were opened and found to contain cash and gold items. Bakoush was also wearing some gold items. It was pointed out in court that the accused had already been under a court imposed freezing order and so the possession of the cash could constitute a breach. Digital weighing scales and traces of a white substance were also found. 

Five or six persons waiting outside the front door of the apartment were also arrested and found to be in possession of drugs.  

One of them had told the police that he went there to buy drugs from Bakoush and would go there regularly. He confirmed his statement under oath before the inquiring magistrate. 

Stables arrest

A third person who was charged, Joseph Debono, was also arrested at the stables that are registered in his name in Marsa. Drugs were also found in the stables and he was arrested and taken in for questioning. 

Debono had cooperated with the police and told them that he was Bakoush and Murat’s runner. His role was to hand over the drugs and take the money from customers. The couple would provide him with food, shelter and would pay him with drugs, as he had acute addiction problems.  

He explained that the metal structures on the lower floor were there for security. He would sit behind the bars and supply customers, informing the accused upstairs when he needed a resupply. 

Bakoush did not reply to any questions during her interrogation, the inspector said. Nazwan had also refused to answer any potentially incriminating questions, added the inspector.

The case was adjourned to September 14 for bail submissions.

Lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri and Francesca Zarb are defence counsel.