A man who took to his heels when stopped by police in Marsa, leaving behind him a bag containing 70 cannabis sachets, was found in possession of another 35 sachets when arrested nine days later.  

Mustafa Ahmed Mohamed, a 34-year-old Somali national, was first spotted by police on January 13 morning while patrolling December 13 Street in Marsa. 

The officer stopped the man and asked to have a look inside his bag. 

The man complied but when the officer asked him to unzip a pocket inside the bag, he turned around and fled.

The strap came off and the bag remained in the policeman’s hands while its owner jumped over a nearby wall and disappeared.

Inside that bag, police discovered some 70 sachets of a greenish substance which later turned out to be cannabis. 

Footage of the incident enabled investigators to identify the suspect, whose image was posted on the police system. 

On Sunday, a person who appeared to match that image turned up at the Ħamrun police station to sign the bail book at around 10.30am.

He was stopped and searched, explained prosecuting Inspector Sarah Kathleen Zerafa during the man’s arraignment on Monday. 

That second search yielded 35 sachets of the suspected drug. 

The man, who told the court that he was homeless and jobless, on Monday pleaded not guilty to two charges of cannabis possession in circumstances denoting that the drug was not solely for personal use. 

Given the accused’s personal circumstances, defence lawyer Francesca Zarb did not request bail at this stage.

The court, presided over by Magistrate Astrid May Grima, remanded the man in custody. 

Inspector Mark Cremona also prosecuted. Lawyers Franco Debono and Francesca Zarb are defence counsel. 

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