A teenage driver, flagged down by the police in Qawra over a missing number plate, landed on the wrong side of the law after they discovered 78 sachets of drugs in the car he was driving, a court was told. 

Lee Formosa, a 19-year-old Marsa resident, was denied bail upon arraignment on Tuesday following last month's incident when officers from the Qawra police station and community policemen flagged down the Toyota Vitz with a missing number plate.

When the driver pulled to the side, the officers noticed a “peculiar movement” as the person behind the wheel appeared to throw something in the direction of another man sitting in the passenger seat. 

A closer look at the passenger revealed a face that was quite familiar in police circles. 

“Something is going on here,” one of the officers told his colleagues as he recognised the person seated near the driver. 

No sooner had the passenger stepped out of the car than he told the officers “those are not mine,” referring to the drugs subsequently found inside the vehicle.

There were 32 sachets of suspected heroin and 46 of suspected cocaine, containing some 18 grams and 17 grams of drugs respectively. 

Both men were taken to the police headquarters. 

Since then, the accused was twice granted police bail, the last one being scheduled for Monday, explained prosecuting Inspector Jonathan Pace.

On Tuesday, he pleaded not guilty to possession of cocaine and heroin under circumstances denoting that the drugs were not intended solely for his personal use, driving without a licence and insurance cover, as well as without registration plates. 

He was also charged with relapsing and breaching previous bail conditions. 

Defence lawyer Franco Debono requested bail, stressing that the accused had twice been granted police bail and always abided by conditions. 

Moreover, the amount of drugs involved was minimal, he said adding that the accused was an ideal candidate to have his case decided by the Drug Court. 

After suspending the hearing, the court, presided over by Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech, delivered a decree, turning down the request and observing that the accused appeared to show no respect towards authorities and had faced similar charges previously.

The courts had granted him various chances but he did not seem prepared to put his wrong behind him and was not deemed sufficiently trustworthy. 

Inspector Warren Galea also prosecuted. Lawyer Francesca Zarb was also defence counsel.