A man who stands accused of having conspired to import nine kilograms of cannabis using packages sent in the post has been granted bail.

Pedro Da Costa Masi, a 29-year-old self-employed Brazilian national from Mellieħa, is pleading not guilty to a raft of charges related to cannabis possession, importation and cultivation.

The case came to law enforcement’s attention last month, when a parcel flagged as suspicious by Fedex officials turned out to contain four packages of suspected cannabis.

That parcel was addressed to a ‘Paola Gonzales’ living at an address in Pietá. Although the street and apartment block cited on the address were real, the apartment number provided was fictitious.

Two days later, a man showed up at Fedex offices and inquired about the parcel. The police’s drug squad pounced, and arrested him. Inside his Mellieħa home they found several kilograms of cannabis resin, six cannabis plants, suspected MDMA and around €12,000 in cash.

Inspector Mark Mercieca testified that officers who searched the accused’s home also found envelopes addressed to the same ‘Paola Gonzales’ cited on the Fedex package. Further investigations revealed that another package addressed to that name had been flagged by Maltapost to the police some days earlier.

Masi was arraigned in court last month and pleaded not guilty to charges. He did not request bail and was remanded in custody.

When the case resumed on Tuesday, his lawyers asked that he be granted bail and prosecutors did not object.

Magistrate Elaine Rizzo took note of that and agreed to grant Masi bail against an €18,000 deposit and €20,000 personal guarantee.

The accused was also ordered to deposit his passport and residence card with the court and told he must sign a bail book at the Sliema police station every day. He must remain indoors at an apartment in Gzira between 10pm and 6am every day.

Masi was represented by lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri. 

The case is being prosecuted by police inspectors Mark Mercieca and John Leigh Howard.