A man pleading not guilty to drug trafficking charges was caught with 13 sachets of cocaine hidden inside a power bank as he entered prison, a court heard on Monday.

The drugs were found inside a secret compartment of a power bank that Aleksander Vujakovic had with him as he was transferred to Corradino Correctional Facility when his personal belongings were scanned for the first time, a police inspector testified.

The cocaine was confiscated and a magistrate informed of the finding, Inspector Jonathan Cassar said.

Vujakovic's power bank was among personal items that police seized when they arrested him and four others in connection with a massive drug haul of 6.7kg of cocaine, 7kg of cannabis bud and 10kg of cannabis resin.

Police then handed those items to CCF officials as the five were being transferred to the prison, at which point they were scanned and the hidden drugs discovered. 

Vujakovic, his brother Nikola, Sara Lerinc, Salvatore Rogazione and Goran Davkovski are all pleading not guilty to involvement in a criminal organization, drug trafficking and money laundering.

All five were caught and arrested following a police surveillance operation that saw officers raid three separate houses earlier this month.

Inspector Cassar led that operation and recounted details of it in his testimony on Monday.

He told the court that police were surveilling Nikola Vujakovic and saw him approach a Peugeot in a Zabbar field on October 5 at around 2pm. Vujakovic took some bags out of the car and left.

Papers related to man who tried to flee

The following day, Vujakovic returned, this time on a motorbike with his girlfriend, Lerinc. He took a paper bag out of the Peugeot and then headed to Marsascala, where officers saw him drop the bag behind a parapet wall. A man then collected the bag and entered a block of apartments.

At that point, the inspector issued the order to arrest that man, who turned out to be Rogazione.

Rogazione cooperated with the police and directed them to a parcel under a bed. It contained 1kg of cocaine. When officers searched his place, they found ammunition in a cigarette packet as well as a paper stating that another man, Michele Artale, was refusing legal assistance.

Artale, a convicted drug trafficker, was caught trying to flee Malta by hiding inside a cargo truck aboard the catamaran to Sicily earlier this week.  

Police then moved to Nikola Vujakovic’s Zabbar residence. Three inspectors and other officers went to his home, and a duty magistrate was informed.

When police arrived, Nikola’s brother Aleksander was exiting the house. He was stopped and arrested. Nikola Vujakovic opened the door, and he and Lerinc were also arrested.

Inside, police found various falsified documents, including one belonging to Davovski, ammunition, a firearm, suspected cannabis, cash and keys.

Nikola Vujakovic told officers the money, just under €15,000, came from a property sale in his home country Serbia.

Inside the Peugeot, police found roughly 5kg of cocaine and 2kg of cannabis, the inspector said.

Police then moved to a residence in Marsascala, where Aleksander Vujakovic was registered as living. Davovski was seen leaving the property and was quickly arrested. Inside the house, police found 1kg of cocaine, 5kg of cannabis and press to make cannabis resin.

Taking out the rubbish

Under interrogation, Rogazione told police he was taking out the rubbish when someone asked him to pick up a parcel. He said he had no idea what was in it. He did not identify any of the others arrested when shown a photo line-up.

Davovksi told police he lived with Nikola Vujakovic for some time, but when shown a photo of him did not reply. 

Nikola, Aleksander and Goran Davovski all had keys to access the garage at Aleksander Vujakovic’s address, the inspector testified. Nikola told officers he used the garage to store his motorbike.

Under cross-examination, the inspector confirmed that Nikola Vujakovic had told police that the bag he threw behind the parapet wall contained some sweaters. He also confirmed that those sweaters were found inside Rogazione’s apartment.

But the inspector noted that when police officers asked Rogazione for the items inside the bag, he had led them to the parcel containing 1kg of cocaine.

The inspector also confirmed that police had seen the garage door open during the surveillance operation. 

When asked about Lerinc’s alleged role, the inspector said she was with Vujakovic when he collected drugs, dropped them off and inside his house when they were arrested.

Asked by defence lawyer Franco Debono about their demeanour, police constable Francesca Formosa said both Vujakovic and Lerinc “appeared shocked and rightly so.”

The case continues.