A couple is facing drug-related charges after police watched a woman throw a sachet of alleged heroin from the balcony of her home to her husband down below. 

Nakita Spiteri, a 30-year-old dog breeder, and her husband Burg Spiteri, 34, were charged in court on Wednesday, one day after police arrested them following a surveillance operation. 

Police had been watching the couple for weeks following a tip-off, a court heard. On Tuesday, officers saw Nakita Spiteri stop out onto the balcony of the residence in Triq Guze Pace as a car drove up below.

She then tossed something to the driver, later identified as her husband, Burgh Spiteri. 

Police zeroed in, arresting the driver and also entering his home. 

The item allegedly thrown out of the balcony turned out to be a packet filled with a substance suspected of being heroin. 

Inside the couple’s home, police came across a number of drug-filled sachets containing cocaine, heroin and ecstasy, as well as €1000 in cash and several mobile phones. 

An elderly relative of the woman and a third party were inside the residence at the time of the incident. Investigations were still ongoing in that respect. 

Both husband and wife were taken into police custody. 

Both pleaded not guilty to allegedly procuring cocaine, aggravated possession of cocaine, heroin and a “new psychotropic substance” under circumstances denoting that the drugs were not for personal use as well as drug trafficking.

These offences were aggravated further by the fact that they were allegedly committed within 100 metres of a school. 

The husband was separately charged with recidivism. 

Prosecutors objected to them being granted bail, noting that civilians had yet to testify, the nature of the offences and their alleged proximity to a school. 

Defence lawyer Franco Debono countered that the amount of drugs allegedly seized in the operation was yet unspecified. If that amount turned out to be small, the accused could possibly be tried before a drug court.

As for the moderate amount of cash found in their home, the lawyer pointed out that the wife was a dog breeder and that explained the cash found in her possession. 

After hearing submissions by both parties the court, presided over by magistrate Rachel Montebello, turned down the request for bail because even if the amounts of drugs were subsequently confirmed as small, there were civilian witnesses who were still testify, particularly the two third parties present inside the residence at the time of the incident.

Inspectors Mark Anthony Mercieca and John Leigh Howard prosecuted. Lawyer Franco Debono was defence counsel.