Homeless man charged with importing cannabis package intercepted by police

A 57-year-old man has been charged in connection with an ongoing police investigation into a mailed package containing a kilogram of cannabis which had been intercepted by the police earlier this month.

The homeless defendant, who cannot be identified in the media after the court upheld a request to that effect, was arraigned before magistrate Leonard Caruana on Monday, accused of conspiracy to sell cannabis grass, complicity in importing the drug and possession of counterfeit cash.

Clearly weak and unsteady on his feet, the man required the assistance of two policemen just to walk into the courtroom.

Police inspector Alfredo Mangion informed the court that during his interrogation, the man had mentioned names related to the conspiracy, asking the court to order that these names be withheld from publication so as not to harm the ongoing investigation.

Inspector Mangion explained that on February 7, the Drugs Squad received word of the arrival in Malta of a suspicious mail package thought to contain drugs. The package had been addressed to the defendant and delivered to his mother’s address.

A controlled delivery was carried out, during which the man was arrested. Such was his poor state of health that after his arrest, he had to be taken to the Floriana Health Centre and after that, to Mater Dei Hospital. He was later referred to Mount Carmel Hospital for psychiatric treatment. Only after doctors there had cleared him for release, could the man be re-arrested and interrogated, the court was told.

Magistrate Caruana upheld the prosecution’s request for a freezing order over the man’s assets.

A plea of not guilty was filed, and the man’s defence lawyers Jacob Magri and Arthur Azzopardi did not request bail.

At the defence’s request, the court made a recommendation to the prison director to the effect that the man be held at the Forensic Unit at Mount Carmel Hospital while remanded in custody.