Man remanded in custody over alleged import of Khat
The plant material was discovered when the accused's luggage passed through an X-ray scanner
A 51-year-old taxi driver denied drug trafficking charges in court on Tuesday morning after being discovered with around 20kg of Khat at Malta International Airport (MIA).
Khat is a plant that acts as a stimulant when consumed.
Abdikadir Mohamed Ahmed, a Somali-born UK national, appeared before duty magistrate Kevan Azzopardi, accused of importing Khat and possessing the drug in circumstances which denoted that it was not for personal use.
He denied the charges.
Mohamed Ahmed is not a resident of Malta.
Police inspector John Leigh Howard explained that on Sunday, Customs officers at MIA stopped the accused while carrying out inspections of passengers disembarking from a flight from Manchester.
Mohamed Ahmed was carrying one large suitcase and a small backpack. His personal belongings were scanned using an X-ray machine, and officers noticed he was carrying a large quantity of organic material in his large suitcase.
The Drug Squad was informed, and the police inspector went on-site, where he arrested the accused. Duty magistrate Monica Borg Galea was informed, and an inquiry was launched.
The court upheld the prosecution’s request and issued a freezing order.
Bail was not requested, and the man was remanded in custody.
Magistrate Kevan Azzopardi presided over the arraignment.
AG lawyer Julian Scicluna prosecuted, assisted by police inspector John Leigh Howard.
Legal aid lawyer Martin Farrugia assisted the accused.