Drugs squad investigations ongoing after man charged over 9kg cannabis discovery

Further arrests are expected after a man, arrested whilst driving a car full of cannabis grass, was arraigned in court and denied bail this morning.

Josef Majri, 22, from Tarxien told the court that he worked in the film industry before he pleaded not guilty to a solitary charge of possession of cannabis in circumstances which denoted that it was not for his personal use.

Inspector Justine Grech told magistrate Audrey Demicoli how the police, having been tipped off that he was trafficking drugs, had stopped him whilst he was driving a car registered to someone else. Three kilogrammes of cannabis grass was found in the car. A further search of a garage, the keys to which were found on his person, returned another six kilogrammes of cannabis grass.

Majri denied the charges in court today.

Grech opposed his lawyer’s request for bail on the grounds of the grave nature of the charges and the ongoing investigation, as well as the prosecution’s fear of him tampering with evidence.

Lawyer Franco Debono argued that the fact that investigations were ongoing meant that the police could yet find evidence that exculpates the accused. “It works both ways, it doesn’t mean that you can keep him arrested,” submitted the lawyer.

The accused had never been imprisoned before and had a fixed place of work, said the lawyer, asking for bail conditions that fit the alleged crime.

The court, however, denied bail, upholding the reasons mentioned by the prosecution. A freezing order was also issued overall Majri’s property.