Three youths were remanded in custody on Sunday after one of them took possession of a two-kilo package of cannabis grass in a controlled delivery observed by the police.

Bojan Veljanoski, 24, an estate agent, Daniel Mackinovski, 25, unemployed, both Macedonian nationals sharing a Marsascala address and Ivan Georgiev Ivanov, 19, a post-secondary student from Marsascala, were arraigned following their arrest on Friday.

All three pleaded not guilty to involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy, importation of cannabis grass and possession of the drug under circumstances denoting that it was not solely for personal use.

Ivanov was separately charged with possession of cocaine under circumstances denoting that the drug was not for his exclusive use.

Prosecuting Inspector Jonathan Pace explained how it all started when a suspicious parcel was flagged by a local courier company.

Police checked the parcel which was found to contain some two kilos of cannabis grass.

Investigators set up a controlled delivery operation under a magisterial warrant.

Officers called the mobile number on the parcel to confirm the delivery address. The person who took the call informed them that he was at work but would ask his brother to take delivery.

Police officers headed to the indicated address and noticed a white car speeding through the street several times while a youth, later identified as Mackinovski, stood on a balcony, apparently talking on his phone. He later left the block, took the parcel, signed and stepped back, saying that he would “be back.”

But he suddenly took to his heels. Inspector Pace gave chase, catching the suspect who tripped and fell.

A mobile phone and a bunch of keys were found in his possession but the suspect insisted that he did not live there, telling police that that was his friend’s residence.

Meanwhile, police also blocked the suspicious white vehicle. The driver was later identified as Veljanoski. The passenger was Ivanov.

A search of the vehicle yielded a cannabis bud, cash and several mobile phones, one of which was allegedly used to communicate with the courier.

Upon arrest, Ivanov claimed that he only had 20 grams of cannabis grass at home, insisting that it was for his own use.

But when police searched his apartment at another Marsascala address they found some 200 grams of the drug, a backpack stuffed with vacuum-packed packages of cannabis buds similar to the one involved in the controlled delivery, sachets of cocaine, weighing scales and other drug paraphernalia.

Under interrogation, Veljanoski and Mackinovski opted for silence. Ivanov claimed that he was beaten and threatened because of some unsettled debt. He even showed police some bruises which were subsequently medically certified as not having been recently caused.

All three co-accused requested bail.

Lawyer Franco Debono, assisting Veljanoski and Mackinovski, argued that both had a fixed address and could pay a bail deposit.

Ivanov’s lawyer, Albert Zerafa, argued that the accused had been living in Malta for ten years, had a fixed address and was studying at post-secondary level. The teen had a clean criminal record.

Moreover, Ivanov was claiming that he was beaten and forced to act against his will by the other two co-accused.

After hearing submissions the court, presided over by magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit, turned down the request for bail.

The court upheld the prosecution’s request for a freezing order over the accused’s assets.

AG lawyer Maria Francesca Spiteri and Inspector Jonathan Pace prosecuted.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Adreana Zammit were counsel to Veljanoski and Mackinovski.

Lawyer Albert Zerafa was counsel to Ivanov.