Former drug dealer arraigned again

A man who only recently left prison after serving three years for drug trafficking was charged with cocaine and heroin possession yesterday and remanded in custody.

Roderick Delia, 27, was accused of possessing 25 packets of cocaine and heroin in circumstances which denote it was not for his exclusive use in Żabbar on Tuesday.

The police said the drug squad had been keeping an eye on him and his brother Freddie, 42, but paid special attention to Roderick after they were tipped off that he had gone back to his old habits after leaving prison.

He was confronted near the Żabbar bus terminus and searched but he resisted and tried to run away after assaulting the police. He was caught and found in possession of 16 sachets of cocaine and nine of heroin, the police said.

His brother was also arrested for carrying drug-related paraphernalia. The brothers spent three years in prison for trafficking in heroin, ecstasy, cannabis and committing the crime within 100 metres of a place frequented by minors. They were released six months ago.

During yesterday's arraignment of Roderick Delia, defence lawyer Franco Debono asked for bail, saying that just because his client had also been charged with relapsing it did not mean he was guilty.

He insisted that the courts should not remand Mr Delia in custody and prematurely condemn him because relapsing is not viewed by the law as a charge that should automatically have someone kept under arrest.

Police Inspector Victor Aquilina rebutted this line of defence saying that the charges were serious and that the accused had recently been released from prison.

Magistrate Doreen Clarke decided to remand Mr Delia in custody.

His brother has not yet been arraigned.