Man admits to trafficking synthetic cannabis, remanded in custody

The man ran away from officers on sight, police said

A 34-year-old man has been remanded in custody after admitting to possessing and trafficking cannabis and synthetic cannabis.

Abubaker Adam Ismail, a homeless Sudanese national, was apprehended on Friday after he ran away from officers upon sighting them on Marsa Road in Marsa.

A search of Ismail yielded 30 sachets of cannabis, six sachets of synthetic cannabis and cash, which was found in the man’s jacket and trousers. The drugs were determined not to be for personal consumption, police said.

People are legally allowed to carry up to seven grams of cannabis under Malta’s laws partially decriminalising recreational use of the substance.

The man was charged with trafficking synthetic drugs, committing the crime within 100 metres of where youths usually meet up and recidivism. He was arraigned on Sunday.

Bail was not requested, and the man was remanded in custody.

The sentence will be handed down later this month.

Magistrate Astrid May Grima presided.

AG lawyer Julian Scicluna prosecuted, alongside police inspector Wayne Bonello.

Legal aid lawyer Mark Mifsud Cutajar assisted the man.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.