Officer tells jury how drugs were found in a shoe box

After being tipped off about illegal activities in a Swieqi apartment, the police found a shoe box containing 10 bars of cannabis resin on a terrace situated next door to the flat in question, an officer told jurors yesterday.

Police Inspector Nezren Grixti explained how during a search in the apartment, the police found three Libyan men - Mohamed El Gamoudi Nabel, Salem Suleiman Shoaib Rida and Saber Elkekli - as well as several drug-related items.

The inspector was testifying before Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono in the trial by jury of Nabel, 27, Rida, 24, and Elkekli, 25, who are pleading not guilty to conspiring to traffic in drugs and the possession of cannabis resin in circumstances denoting it was not for their personal use in 2002.

Rida is also charged with the possession of cocaine.

In a lengthy testimony, Inspector Grixti explained how after being informed about ongoing illegal activities in the Swieqi apartment, the police kept it under close watch and, on July 18 2002, they found a black shoe box on the terrace of an apartment situated above the Giardino Restaurant.

Inside the box there were 10 bars of cannabis wrapped in cling film and each one had a stamp bearing the image of a vase. Soon after finding the box, the police heard noises coming from a neighbouring apartment (in a different block) and, in a raid, they came upon the three accused. A search of the apartment yielded a pair of shoes matching the description and size of the shoe box found on the terrace and Naber confirmed the shoes were his. The police also found several drug-connected items, including punctured bottles with foil wrapped around their mouth, a 12-inch knife with a burnt blade, three rolls of cling film and one roll of aluminium foil.

The police later noticed that a window on the terrace leading to the apartment above the restaurant was ajar. They investigated and found a plastic bag containing another nine bars similar to the 10 found in the shoe box.

A piece of resin was found in Rida's pocket but a search on the other two accused proved to be negative.

The witness explained how the three men released a statement to the police.

Elkekli said he had been in Malta for four years and on the day of his arrest had gone to his friend's apartment to sleep after a night out. Elkekli denied ever seeing drugs in the apartment.

Nabel told the police he had been in Malta for about two years and lived in a Swieqi apartment with "another person" and that he had never seen drugs in the apartment. He denied having drug problems or ever using drugs and also denied that the drugs found by the police were his.

When asked about the shoes he explained that he had bought them about a month earlier and had thrown the box away without crushing it.

Rida had been in Malta for 14 years and lived in Swieqi with "another person". He admitted abusing cannabis and cocaine in the past and said he had made use of the drug-related items found in flat. He explained where he bought the drugs but denied that the cannabis bars found on the terrace and in the neighbouring apartment were his.

The bill of indictment alleges that in 2002, Nabel approached Elkekli and suggested that the two start importing drugs to Malta. Elkekli originally refused but he eventually accepted the offer and the two started making plans to import drugs. Some time later Rida joined them.

It was agreed that Rida would allow Nabel to use his Swieqi apartment to hide and store drugs which he (Nabel) would obtain, while Elkekli made contacts to sell them.

The trial continues this morning when an on-site inquiry is expected to he held.

Senior Counsel to the Republic Dr Mark Said is prosecuting.

Dr Giannella Caruana Curran, Dr Emmanuel Mallia, Dr Jason Azzopardi and Dr Kris Busietta appeared for the accused.