A man who was found in possession of 25 kilos of cannabis grass during a raid at a Sliema garage almost five years ago started undergoing trial by jury on Monday.

Catania-born Davide Bonanno stands accused of involvement in a drug-trafficking conspiracy, importation and possession of the drug under circumstances denoting that the cannabis was not intended solely for personal use.

The Attorney General is claiming that Bonanno imported the cannabis grass from Sicily.

In September 2018 a tip-off had alerted police to a cargo of food and other items that was being transported on a trailer from Sicily. The trailer was driven to a Siġġiewi garage belonging to the haulier who was not aware of the illegal contents.

A couple of days later, on October 1, a controlled delivery was effected and the drug, hidden in packets of tissue paper, was transferred to a garage in Matthew Pulis Street, Sliema where two other Italian men helped Bonanno move the merchandise into the premises.

Neither of those two had any idea that the pallet marked as “merce alimentare” (foodstuffs) actually contained drugs.

Bonanno accepted the consignment and was subsequently arrested.

The drug was later certified as cannabis grass with a purity of 7% and a market value that ranged between €250,000 and €700,000.

The trial by jury is presided by Mr Justice Aaron Bugeja.

AG lawyers Kevin Valletta and Andrea Zammit are prosecuting.

Lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace, as legal aid counsel, is assisting the accused.