Police found cannabis ‘everywhere’ when raiding apartment of alleged trafficker

A man from Mellieha was remanded in custody on Friday, accused of drug trafficking and money laundering, with his lawyer calling for a specialised facility for the detention and treatment of substance abusers.

21-year-old Jordan Gafá from Mellieha was arraigned under arrest before magistrate Marseanne Farrugia on Friday morning, accused of possession of cannabis grass and resin, as well as ecstasy pills, in circumstances which indicated they were not only for his personal consumption.

Gafá was also accused of laundering the proceeds of criminal activity.

Inspector Mercieca told the court that the defendant’s car had been stopped by RIU and Drugs Squad officers in Mellieha, on suspicion that he had weapons inside.

No weapons were found in the vehicle, but the police discovered around 100 grams of cannabis. In a search that was carried out at his residence after his arrest, police found another 200 grams of cannabis as well as digital weighing scales, which the defendant claimed were for his personal use.

Inspector Mercieca explained that several addresses were linked to Gafá’s name. The suspect was escorted to another apartment in Mellieha, where after the police broke down the door Gafá asked the officers not to taze the two American Bully dogs inside, which the suspect said were his.

The police found some three kilograms of drugs Inside the apartment, said the inspector.

“There was cannabis everywhere you look. Bags on the counter… next to the TV… on the kitchen table.” A number of ecstasy pills that did not appear to be for Gafá’s personal use were found in the fridge, he said. Digital weighing scales and a cardboard box of resealable bags containing a green substance were also found on the premises, as well as around €50,000 in cash.

Gafá, who told the court that he was unemployed, pleaded not guilty and requested bail.

Inspector Merceica objected to the request, telling the court that the man had an “acute drug problem” that could draw him to further trouble. The inspector also pointed out that despite the defendant’s relatively young age, he had managed to be involved in a crime of this magnitude.

The circumstances which resulted in Gafá’s arrest were “slightly unusual,” added the inspector. “The suspect was observed being followed around in his car by another person who is also well known to the police,” he said, adding that investigators were still currently trying to establish what had been happening and that the person following the suspect is yet to be questioned by the police.

Another obstacle to bail was the fact that Gafá’s place of residence is currently a crime scene, the inspector pointed out.

In brief submissions on bail, lawyer Franco Debono, assisting Gafá together with lawyer Adreana Zammit, pointed out that the man had no previous convictions.

Were he to be granted bail, he would reside at another address in Mellieha with his mother. Inspector Mercieca confirmed that the mother lived there, but added that her address had also come up in the investigation and that cannabis had also been found there.

Debono highlighted Malta’s need for a “halfway house” for the treatment of drug addiction.

“Unfortunately, in this country there is no place that is not a prison, in which a person can be treated for drug addiction and not allowed to leave voluntarily.”

In a similar case a few months ago, magistrate Elaine Rizzo had also called for this type of specialised institution to be set up, added the lawyer.

“At 21 years old, it would be better to help straighten this man’s path than allow it to twist further,” Debono said.

The court denied bail due to the risk of jeopardising the ongoing investigation.

Magistrate Farrugia noted that the mother’s residence had been given as a potential address for bail but the mother herself was not present in court to declare her acceptance.

Besides this, the court said, the defendant’s acute drug problem risked leading him to commit another offence on bail.

The prosecution’s request for a freezing order over all of Gafá’s assets was also upheld.

Police Inspectors Mark Merceica and Warren Galea prosecuted. Lawyers Franco Debono and Adreana Zammit assisted the defendant.