Douglas Briffa, 29, has been remanded in custody after having been accused of drug possession which was not for personal use.  

The man was the subject of a police surveillance operation before Drugs Squad officers arrested him metres from two playing areas at Cospicua on Sunday.

A search of a car he was driving yielded 16 sachets of suspected cocaine and heroin.

Briffa pleaded not guilty to possessing drugs, aggravated by the fact that he was near a place frequented by youths. He also pleaded not guilty to recidivism.

When making submissions on bail, lawyer Franco Debono argued that the aggravating factor depended on the spot where the arrest took place. Ordering a suspect to stop within the 100-metre distance would result in aggravated charges which effectively meant that the accused would not qualify for prosecution before the drug court and a possible non-custodial punishment.

The prosecution countered that the accused was not trustworthy and had several past convictions, as attested by his colourful criminal record. Moreover, prosecution witnesses were still to testify.

Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras turned down the request for bail, deeming the accused not sufficiently trustworthy and also in view of the risk of tampering with evidence.

Inspectors Anthony Scerri and Marshal Mallia prosecuted. Lawyers Franco Debono and Amadeus Cachia were defence counsel.