Three arraigned after Drug Squad raids
13 kilograms of cocaine and cannabis were seized along with over half a million euro in cash and jewellery
Three men were arraigned on Wednesday morning following a police operation on Monday in which 13 kilograms of cocaine and cannabis were seized along with over half a million euro in cash and jewellery.
The first to be arraigned were 28-year-old Giorgio Gafà and 29-year-old Alessio Guastelluccia, both unemployed.
Police inspector Mark Mercieca explained that over the past months the police placed a foreign criminal gang under surveillance on suspicion of drug trafficking and money laundering in Malta.
An arrest warrant was requested on January 26 and was executed on the same day.
The police monitored Gafà’s movement that morning until he arrived at a Swieqi residence. He was seen taking out a sizeable box from his car and carrying it inside. He stayed there for some 40 minutes and re-emerged with Guastelluccia. The police stopped the two men and found cannabis grass in Guastelluccia’s backpack and a small amount of cocaine in Gafà’s car.
Searches were then carried out at their respective residences, Guastelluccia’s in Swieqi and Gafà’s in Santa Venera.
In Guastelluccia’s house the police found approximately 12 kilograms of cannabis grass as well as some jewellery. The police also found cannabis grass and resin inside Gafà’s garage in Santa Venera, which the suspect informed them about. They also found jewellery and about €380,000 in a blue suitcase under the bed. A stolen weapon was inside Gafà’s motorcycle.
Gafà from Syracuse and Guastelluccia from Noto in Sicily were accused of conspiring to traffic cannabis grass and cocaine, being in possession of both drugs in cirumstances that denoted it was not for personal use, and money laundering. Gafà alone was also accused of being in possession of cannabis resin in circumstances that denoted it was not forpersonal use and being in possession of an unlicensed firearm.
The pair denied the charges.
The court upheld the prosecution’s requests and imposed freezing orders on both. At this stage, bail was not requested and the pair were remanded in custody.
Samuele Pernicone, 35, born in Messina and living in Sliema, was the third to be arraigned before duty magistrate Kevan Azzopardi.
Police inspector John Leigh Howard explained that Pernicone was also arrested on January 26, at his rented apartment. Police officers found 40-50g of cocaine and 20-40g of cannabis grass in Pernicone’s room. They also found empty sachets.
Pernicone pleaded not guilty to aggravated possession of cocaine and cannabis grass.
Defence lawyer Martina Herrera made a request for bail. Police inspector Mark Mercieca objected, underlining the seriousness of the crime and the man’s lack of ties to Malta. He argued that the investigations are ongoing, with some people still under arrest and possibly more arrests to take place.
Defence lawyer Alex Scerri Herrera, among other arguments, highlighted that in their client’s case, they could apply for the case to be heard before the Drug Court, which is not bound to impose an effective prison term.
Mercieca countered that the man was arrested on suspicion of involvement in criminal networks, adding that the charges could possibly change in the coming days. However, the current charges reflect the circumstances in which he was arrested.
“He was never seen going to work in four months under surveillance,” Mercieca said. The police inspector added that during the time of the arrest people came to buy drugs and had to be turned away by the police.
After hearing the submissions, the court denied bail. A freezing order was also imposed on his assets.
Magistrate Kevan Azzopardi presided. AG lawyer Nadia Ciappara prosecuted, alongside police inspectors Mark Mercieca and John Leigh Howard. Lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri and Adreana Zammit appeared for Gafà and Guastelluccia. Lawyers José Herrera, Martina Herrera, Alex Scerri Herrera and Naomi Spiteri appeared for Pernicone.