No bail for two men arrested in Paceville for cocaine, marijuana possession

Two men have been remanded in custody after they were arrested in Paceville last night and found to be carrying multiple sachets of cocaine and cannabis.

Abdirashid Ahmed Sirad, 20, from Somalia and Mohammed Husayn Mustafa Omar, a 29 year-old Libyan refugee, appeared before magistrate Neville Camilleri today in separate arraignments over charges of aggravated cocaine and cannabis possession.

Superintendent Dennis Theuma told magistrate Neville Camilleri that Sirad had been spotted acting suspiciously near St. George's Bay and was observed trying to get rid of several sachets suspected to contain cannabis grass, resin and cocaine. He was subsequently arrested.

Omar was also stopped by RIU and Drugs Squad officers in Paceville and found to be carrying sachets of cocaine and cannabis, the officer told the court. During police questioning, he had admitted that the drugs had been on his person in order to be sold.

In both arraignments, the accused pleaded not guilty and requested bail. Lawyer Noel Bartolo, appearing as legal aid to the accused men, reminded the court that the men were still considered to be “in the realm of the innocent” and resided in Malta.

The prosecution objected to the bail requests. In the case of Omar, the fact that he resides at the Open Centre makes him harder to trace, the Superintendent said. “If he leaves Malta, it will be practically impossible to extradite him from Libya.”

In both cases, the court denied bail and ordered the men be remanded in custody.