A convicted drug trafficker was remanded in custody on Friday after being caught hiding inside a truck that had just boarded the fast ferry to Pozzallo.

Michele Artale - a 54-year-old Ragusa-born self-employed living in Senglea - landed in hot water after allegedly attempting to abscond from Malta while undergoing two separate criminal proceedings.

He was bound by various bail conditions, including restrictions on travelling abroad, explained prosecuting Inspector Mark Anthony Mercieca when arraigning Artale and the truck driver who was allegedly roped into the escape plan.

Artale had failed to sign the bail book since Monday. On Wednesday, police received information that Artale could have been preparing to slip out of the country.

Further investigation shed more light on the suspect’s plan.

On Wednesday afternoon, at around 4:45pm, Mercieca headed to the car compound at the catamaran terminal.

An Iveco truck that had already boarded the fast ferry was singled out for inspection, while orders were issued by the police to stop other vehicles from boarding.

The truck driver - a 43-year-old Sicilian national Santo Pecoraro - was ordered to step off.

When asked whether there was anyone else inside the vehicle, the driver at first replied “no.”

But when the inspector called for backup, the driver signalled “yes”, nodding, explained Mercieca.

When police checked the vehicle, they came across Artale hidden on a bed behind a curtain that separated the cabin from the rest of the truck.

He was carrying a couple of sachets of cocaine inside a cigarette packet and over €10,000 in cash.

Cannabis resin was later found at his Senglea home, explained Mercieca.

Both men were arrested.

They were arraigned separately on Friday.

Artale pleaded not guilty to a raft of charges, including his attempt to leave Malta through unlawful means, breaching cash control regulations as well as unlawful drug possession.

Defence lawyer Matthew Xuereb pointed out that the defendant had given two reasons for his alleged wrongdoing. His attempt to flee could possibly be linked to “other cases” and that version was being investigated further.

However, his main motive was to reach his son who was due to undergo serious surgery in a Sicilian hospital. The police had confirmed the son’s medical condition.

The prosecution objected to bail, arguing that the risk of absconding had “actually materialised” when the defendant boarded the fast ferry.

He had previously been granted court permission to travel abroad and thus knew the proper procedures to go through. This time he had chosen to do otherwise.

Moreover, civilian witnesses were still to testify.

In light of the circumstances in which the police had found the defendant and other civilians still to testify, Magistrate Leonard Caruana turned down the request for bail.

Bail was also denied to the truck driver who was charged with assisting Artale in his plan.

His lawyer Robert Galea did not request bail since Pecoraro did not have a fixed address in Malta.

Inspector Karl Roberts also prosecuted.