More details about Drugs Squad's successful 1kg heroin bust emerge in court

An inspector from the police’s Drugs Squad has outlined in court how one of the men arraigned last week over the discovery of a kilogram of heroin in a Kirkop apartment had provided crucial assistance to their investigation.

42-year-old Christian Grech from Birgu is pleading not guilty to charges of conspiracy to traffic heroin, supplying the drug and being in possession of it in circumstances denoting that it was not intended for his personal consumption. Grech is also accused of being a recidivist. 

Police inspector Jonathan Cassar from the Drugs Squad took the witness stand to give his account of the investigation that led to the man’s arrest.

The police had been carrying out surveillance on Ferdinand Onovo, a Nigerian national who is also currently in preventive custody in connection with the drug bust, he said.

Onovo, who had already been sentenced to imprisonment for 10 years for cocaine trafficking in 2017, was observed going in and out of an apartment block. The police decided to stop him in his vehicle once he left.

Onovo and another person were in the car, said the inspector. Although no drugs were found in the vehicle, the police officers’ suspicions were raised by the man’s demeanour. Police inspector Mark Mercieca informed the duty magistrate and a search warrant was issued for the apartment in question. 

After breaking down the door to the apartment, the police found Grech inside. He told the police that he knew why they were there, assuming full ownership and responsibility for the kilogram of heroin and telling officers that his girlfriend had not been aware of its presence.

Grech, who was questioned first, told his police interrogators that he was prepared to collaborate with them. He issued a statement confirming that the heroin belonged to him, explaining that he had met Onovo in prison and that the man had pestered him into helping him move the heroin.

Despite not liking the sample given to him, Grech had agreed to meet Onovo, said the inspector. When the two met, the drugs had not been in Onovo’s backpack. Instead, after he phoned someone up, a car arrived with the drugs under the seat.

While Onovo was warning Grech not to try and trick him, the police had moved in and arrested the men, the court was told today.

Grech had confirmed his statement both on video as well as on oath before duty magistrate.

Grech’s girlfriend had told the police that she had seen Onovo at the apartment, but did not know why he had been there.

The police had also questioned the driver of the car which had arrived carrying the drugs, and established that he was a taxi driver. He told the police that Onovo had asked him for a ride to the airport and that on the way, he had asked him to stop at the flat to pick something up. A short while after he had done that, he had received a call from Onovo, asking to be picked up again because he had forgotten something. This time, Onovo was carrying an orange rucksack, the driver had told the police.

Onovo had also been interrogated, being assisted by lawyer Charles Mercieca, said the inspector. The Nigerian had exercised his right to silence and limited himself to telling the police that Grech was lying. 

Inspector Cassar added that Grech’s DNA had been found on the rucksack, but not on the inner bag where the drugs were found. Onovo’s DNA was found on the inner bag, he said. 

As part of the investigation, the police had also seized mobile phones from both Grech and Onovo, neither of which were locked. On the devices, the police found correspondence between the men. 

Cross-examined by lawyer Franco Debono, the inspector confirmed that Grech’s assistance to the police’s investigation into Onovo had proven to be very helpful.

In view of this, the court was asked to apply the maximum diminution of punishment contemplated in the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, should it find Grech guilty.

The case continues.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Ramona Attard are defence counsel to Grech.