Updated 11.56am with arraignment details.

Four men and a woman have been taken to court following an investigation which led to a drug importation ring being smashed, the police said.

Investigations started weeks ago, with arrests being made on Sunday.

A car was surrounded, stopped and searched in Żabbar, where seven kilograms of cocaine were found.

Raids followed in a house in Żabbar and another two houses in Marsascala, where the police found more cocaine as well as six kilograms of cannabis resin,  drug-related equipment, a cash counting machine, counterfeit documents and ammunition.

The arrested persons are Nikola Vujakovic, 36 and Sara Lerinc, 22 from Serbia, Salvatore Rogazione, 37, an Italian, Aleksander Vujakovic, 34 from Croatia and Goran Davkovski, 54 of Macedonia. 

Nikola Vujakovic was charged with procurement of cocaine, possession of cocaine and cannabis under circumstances denoting that the drugs were not for personal use, possession of weapons without a police licence, falsification of documents and possession thereof. 

Aleksandar Vujakovic was charged with possession of cocaine and cannabis not for personal use and document forgery.

Rogazione was charged with procurement and possession of cocaine not for personal use and Lerinc was charged with procurement of cocaine, possession of cocaine and cannabis not for personal use and unlicensed possession of weapons. 

Lerinic was charged with procurement of cocaine, possession of cocaine and cannabis not for personal use and unlicensed possession of weapons. 

Davkovski was charged with possession of cocaine and cannabis not for personal use, forgery of documents and possession thereof. 

Prosecuting Inspector Mark Anthony Mercieca gave an overview of the investigation. 

He told the court that over the past months, police received information about a group of Serbian nationals who were likely involved in drug trafficking, arms possession and document forgery in Malta.

One of the suspects was Nikola Vujakovic who lived in Zabbar with his girlfriend Sara, but also visited other premises and made use of a place at Marsascala. 

The man used various vehicles.

Police carried out short spells of surveillance over the last weeks to get an idea of the gang’s lifestyle. 

On October 5, police upped their surveillance to confirm the intelligence in hand. 

On October 6, Nikola was monitored as he drove a Volvo vehicle to a parking area where he approached a Peugeot, opened the boot and filled a bag with something. 

He placed the bag in his Volvo and drove to Baħar ic-Cagħaq.  

Police officers kept watch at the area where the Peugeot was parked. 

On October 6, Nikola drove up to the Peugeot on a white motorbike along with his girlfriend. 

Once again, he opened the boot, took a small bag and drove off again, police in tow all the way to Triq il-Miklem Malti, Marsascala.

There he placed the bag on the front porch of a residence,

A man wearing a green jumper collected it soon after. 

Police arrested that man, later identified as Salvatore Rogazione.

The bag contained a block of cocaine.  

Nikola and Sara were arrested at their Zabbar residence where police found a cocaine sachet and a sachet of cannabis as well as a firearm.

There was also an indeterminate amount of cash and a money-counting machine. 

There were various mobile phones, several weighing scales and €14,000 cash in the glove compartment of the Volvo. 

Another €3630 in cash was in Nikola’s wallet. 

Searches were carried out at various premises linked to Nikola. 

Those searches yielded 7 kilos of cannabis and 7 kilos of cocaine. 

A sizeable press and moulds bearing traces of cocaine were also found. 

The defence jointly registered their objection to the prosecution’s request for a freezing order but Magistrate Nadine Sant Lia issued the order in terms of law. 

All except for Davkovski pleaded not guilty. Davkovski opted not to answer any questions, repeating “I don’t want to answer” to each question put by the magistrate’s deputy.

The defence did not request bail and all were remanded in custody.

AG lawyer Maria Francesca Spiteri and inspectors Mark A Mercieca, Jonathan Cassar, Jonathan Pace and Oscar Baldacchino prosecuted.

Lawyers Franco Debono, Alfred Abela and Rene’ Darmanin were counsel to the Vujakovic brothers and Lerinc. Lawyer Charles Mercieca was counsel to Davkovski. Lawyer Julia Micallef Stafrace was counsel to Rogazione.