Man on bail accused of trafficking cocaine to known criminals
Officers allege the accused breached his court-imposed curfew while running the operation from his home
A 60-year-old man has been remanded in custody after he was accused of trafficking cocaine from his Naxxar residence to individuals with existing criminal records.
In May, the drug squad received information that Maximo Luna Diaz was allegedly trafficking drugs from his home in Naxxar. Subsequent police surveillance revealed that several individuals well-known to the police were frequenting the building.
The accused was observed entering and leaving the residence on multiple occasions, which also coincided with his court-mandated curfew hours, as he is currently on bail in connection with another pending court case.
When police arrested him at the scene, a personal search yielded two sachets of cocaine. A further search of the premises uncovered four additional sachets, two pink and two white containing a substance suspected to be a new psychoactive drug, alongside a weighing scale bearing white traces of a suspected illicit substance.
The accused, who is originally from the Dominican Republic, pleaded not guilty and requested bail, as his defence lawyer pointed out his partner is currently expecting their child.
The prosecution strongly objected to the request, citing a fear of tampering with evidence and explained that the accused has no significant ties to Malta, the investigation remains ongoing, and there is a strong possibility that other individuals will be arraigned in connection with this case.
In response, the defence argued that the accused has been living in Malta for three years, has a stable job with a cleaning company, and his partner is pregnant with his child.
The court denied bail and ordered a freezing order on the accused's assets.
The prosecution was led by Inspector Nico Zarb assisted by lawyer Valentina Cassae on behalf of the Attorney General. Lawyer Martina Hererra appeared for the accused.