Three on bail after Paceville drug arrests

Three men have been granted bail on drugs charges after they were arrested in Paceville on Saturday and found to be in possession of a number of illegal substances.

Inspector Frank Anthony Tabone arraigned Sebastian Fiedler, Ivaylo Petkov and a 20 year-old man who is not being named due to ongoing police investigations, before magistrate Josette Demicoli this morning in separate arraignments.

Sebastian Fiedler, 23 from Zabbar and 29 year-old Ivaylo Petkov from Bulgaria were accused of possession of  cocaine and ecstasy in circumstances which denoted they were to be trafficked.

Officers of the Police Drugs Squad had stopped Fiedler in Paceville and found him to have concealed a bag containing 50 ecstasy pills on his person as well as some cocaine.

Fiedler, who works at sea, had accepted responsibility and collaborated with police, the court was told.

Petkov, who has been living in Malta for 22 years, was arrested on the same night and found to be carrying similar amounts of ecstasy - 45 pills, together with sachets of what is suspected to be cocaine. The accused insisted they were for his personal use.

Lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri and Amadeus Muscat entered not guilty pleas for the men.

The third individual arrested in Paceville was found to be carrying cocaine and cannabis grass.

All three pleaded not guilty and requested bail.

Magistrate Josette Demicoli granted the men temporary release from arrest on the condition they sign a bail book once a week, observe a curfew and provide a €1,000 deposit and €6,000 personal guarantee.