Two more charged over heroin found in van

Two men were yesterday charged with conspiring to deal in some seven kilogrammes of heroin last month.

Angelus Vella, 52, of Cospicua, and Jason Said, 32, of Fgura, pleaded not guilty to conspiring to deal in heroin, importing and trafficking the drug and its possession in circumstances denoting it was not for their personal use on and before June 6.

Silvio Buttigieg, 32, of Cospicua, was arraigned on June 8 and charged in connection with the same case. Police Inspector Norbert Ciappara, prosecuting, yesterday took the witness stand to explain why the two men had been put under arrest.

He said that on June 6 the police were informed that drugs were to be imported and, later on, they stopped a van containing drugs in Ghadira.

Mr Buttigieg was arraigned a few days later but although the police suspected the involvement of Mr Vella and Mr Said they did not have enough evidence to issue charges against the two men.

However, the inspector added, on Thursday there were new developments in the investigation and the police now had enough evidence, including an eyewitness, to charge the two men.

At the end of the sitting Magistrate Lawrence Quintano heard the submissions on bail made by both parties and, after evaluating the circumstance, ordered that Mr Vella and Mr Said be remanded in police custody.

Inspectors Ciappara and Dennis Theuma prosecuted.

Lawyers Joseph Giglio, José Herrera and Franco Debono appeared for the defendants.