Police fire warning shot in drug suspect's arrest

After police officers intercepted a Gozo man with a container, in which they suspected there was cannabis, the suspect led them to a field where he had planted the cannabis plant.

This resulted yesterday during the compilation of evidence in the case against Joseph Buttigieg, 51, of Nadur who is pleading not guilty to the possession and cultivation of cannabis.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera heard Police Sergeant Anton Micallef explain that on January 25 at 1.30 p.m. the accused was observed approaching the fields in the area known as Dahlet Qorrot in the limits of Nadur.

He picked up a red container from the field and placed it in his vehicle but as he was about to leave the area he was intercepted by officers. Although the police identified themselves and asked the accused to stop, he tried to escape by reversing at full speed.

Constable Trevor Cassar Mallia explained that in order to stop the accused from leaving the scene, the officers had to fire a warning shot as well as a shot at the tyre of the accused's vehicle. In the meantime, another police car arrived on the scene and blocked the escape route of the accused.

The police later carried out a search at the man's residence.

Police Sergeant Jason Caruana told the court that the accused himself had consigned to the police a brown paper bag containing a substance suspected to be cannabis.

The prosecution was conducted by Assistant Police Commissioner Paul Debattista and Inspector Pierre Grech.

The accused was assisted by Dr Gianella Caruana Curran and Dr Georgine Grech.