Officer tells how quarry stakeout led to arrest

A few days after photographing a man place something in a heap of rubble and gravel in a quarry, the police arrested the man and found a garbage bag containing 953 ecstasy pills hidden in the area.

Superintendent Neil Harrison explained how, after being informed about the presence of drugs in a quarry in Qrendi, police investigations pointed them towards the quarry used by John Camilleri, known as Ganni Tal-Bully.

Stationed in a nearby abandoned room, drug squad officers kept the quarry under close watch for a few days during which time they photographed Mr Camilleri placing what looked like a long plastic bag in a heap of rubble and gravel near a room in the quarry.

Superintendent Harrison was testifying before Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono in the trial by jury of Mr Camilleri, 37 of Mqabba, who is pleading not guilty to the possession of 953 ecstasy pills in circumstances denoting they were not for his personal use on and before December 27, 2000. The prosecution is claiming that Mr Camilleri hid the pills in his quarry with the intention of dealing in the drugs.

Superintendent Harrison explained that in mid-2000 the police were informed that drugs were being trafficked in a quarry situated between Qrendi and Mqabba. During investigations they identified the quarry in question to be one used by Mr Camilleri.

Some time in December that year Superintendent Harrison went to have a look at the area around the quarry and spotted an abandoned room in the vicinity. He stayed in the room until it almost got dark and after some time Mr Camilleri turned up at the quarry.

On December 24, the superintendent sent two drug squad police officers to observe the quarry. He instructed them to stay in the room and photograph any movements. He also told them to be careful and ensure that their presence was not detected.

The two officers eventually informed him that Mr Camilleri had arrived at the quarry in a red pickup van. There was another man with him. The officers saw Mr Camilleri step out of the vehicle with a long plastic bag in his hand. He then bent down near a pile of rubble and gravel and placed something there. After that the two men left.

The two officers took two pictures of Mr Camilleri bending down to place the object in the rubble. They explained that they did not take any more because the click of the camera could be heard in the quiet quarry.

One of the officers was sent to the area again on December 26 and 27. Meanwhile, Superintendent Harrison said, he placed a police unit in the vicinity just in case their immediate intervention would be required.

On December 27, the superintendent went to the abandoned room where there was the officer and, while there, Mr Camilleri received a phone call, got into his van and drove up the ramp out of the quarry.

Mr Camilleri stopped while half way up, opened the van's door, got out of the van, bent down and picked up what looked like a bag. He got back into the van and drove on, stopping when he reached the top of the ramp. From where he was the superintendent could see that he (Mr Camilleri) reached out to touch the wall.

Mr Camilleri left only to return about an hour later. He drove back into the quarry where there was a light-coloured car close by. Then Mr Camilleri received a phone call and drove back out of the quarry. That was when Superintendent Harrison instructed the police units in the vicinity to intervene and stop him. The police arrested Mr Camilleri and Victor Magri who was in the other car.

Then, with the help of the officer who had kept the area under observation, police searched the rubble where they found a black garbage bag containing a skirt, inside which there was a plastic bag containing 953 pills which turned out to be ecstasy.

On December 28, 2000, Mr Camilleri released a five-page statement in which he said he had not gone anywhere near the quarry between December 21 and 26. He declared that the bag found by the police was not his and that he never made use of drugs.

The trial continues this morning.

Assistant Attorney General Anthony Barbara is prosecuting.

Lawyers Chris Cardona and Chris Soler are appearing for Mr Camilleri.