Supermarket worker charged after 3kg cannabis haul

A supermarket employee has been charged in connection with yesterday’s 3kg cannabis find.

Towfik Shikur Hussein, 26, from Ethiopia living in Msida, a supermarket worker, was accused of importing 3 kilogrammes of cannabis grass and conspiracy to import and traffic cannabis, as well as simple possession of cannabis.

Hussein was arrested in a controlled delivery operation yesterday, after Maltapost employees detected the drugs in a package addressed to him which was mailed to his workplace and informed the police.

Lawyer Joe Ellis told magistrate Francesco Depasquale that the accused was pleading not guilty. He requested bail.

Inspector Jonathan Cassar strongly objected to bail, pointing out that amount of drugs seized had been a large one.

Despite his job and residence in Malta, Cassar argued that the accused had a wife living in Canada and that there were civilian witnesses who had yet to testify. “It is a very early stage in the investigation,” said the inspector.

Ellis pointed out that the man had been granted humanitarian status in Malta and it would be difficult to leave because his documents expressly prevent him from leaving the island. With respect to the tampering with evidence, Ellis said it was “highly unlikely,” adding that the court could impose conditions to ensure no tampering takes place.

“Refusing bail should be exception not rule and not dependant on whether man is Maltese or not,” argued the lawyer, adding that the man’s continued detention would imperil his job.

But the court, having heard submissions, noted that that it was premature at this stage to grant bail to the accused in view of the gravity of the accusations and the fact that evidence still needed to be collected.

Hussein was remanded in custody.