A man who went to a police station while carrying drugs in his parked car has inadvertently led the police to discover a crack cocaine lab at his father’s house.
Josef Zammit, 30 and living in Marsascala, was arrested on Tuesday when he showed up at the Żabbar police station to sign a bail book. He had significant cash on him and sachets of suspected cocaine and heroin hidden in his car.
Police searched Zammit’s house and found cannabis plants and grass and then proceeded to search the home of his father, 68-year-old Mario Brignone of Cospicua.
Brignone had some cash hidden inside domestic appliances, but the real discovery was a key hidden under a doormat that matched the door of a property opposite his home.
Inside that building, police say they found more drugs and cash as well as a fully-fledged crack cocaine lab, prosecuting inspector Mark Anthony Mercieca told a court on Tuesday.
Both father and son have been charged with possession of cocaine and heroin under circumstances indicating that the drugs were not intended solely for personal use, cultivation and possession of cannabis, use or transfer of property derived from crime as well as relapsing.
Both were separately charged with committing acts of money laundering as well as allegedly breaching two sets of bail conditions each.
They pleaded not guilty and chose not to reply when asked about their work or profession.
Their lawyers, Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri, requested bail, stressing that the elder man was rather frail and had been hospitalised “for some five hours” on Monday.
Moreover, the amounts of drugs allegedly found in this case, were relatively small, argued Debono.
However, Mercieca strongly objected, arguing that the amount was not the sole determining factor and that the charges were most serious.
'Laboratory to convert cocaine to crack'
While Zammit had sachets that were ready for trafficking, his father’s residence was monitored by CCTV cameras and was all set up for drugs to be sold from there.
Brignone’s house was being used not only to store drugs and cash but also as a “laboratory to convert cocaine to crack,” the inspector said.
Moreover, both father and son had two previous sets of bail conditions but neither appeared to show the will to reform.
And various civilian witnesses were still to testify, concluded the prosecutor.
The defence again stressed that Brignone was in a very fragile state.
Debono also questioned the relevance of the civilian witnesses whom the prosecution intended to summon and pointed out that suspects could be granted police bail when investigations were still ongoing.
After hearing submissions the court, presided over by magistrate Josette Demicoli, turned down the request in view of the fear of tampering with evidence and since the accused were not deemed to satisfy the necessary legal guarantees.
The court upheld the prosecution’s request for a freezing order over all assets of the accused and directed prison authorities to ensure that Brignone was given all the medical assistance he needed.