A man was remanded in custody after the police allegedly discovered 50 ecstasy pills in his room during a raid of a Żebbuġ residence that yielded 620 pills.

The police came across Ahmed Said Habazi, a 24-year-old Egyptian national during a search of the residence, home to suspects linked to a separate investigation. 

The man arrived in Malta as an asylum seeker in 2019, and the police are still looking into the status of his residence. 

During the search, a substantial amount of grey pills were found inside a wardrobe at the residence where the other suspects were allegedly living.

Around 50 of them were found in cigarette packets in a bedroom which the accused identified as his room. 

Those staying in the residence appeared to have access to all parts of the premises.

The youth, who possibly knew about other matters currently being investigated by a magisterial inquiry, was arrested.

Upon his arraignment on Monday, he pleaded not guilty to possession of ecstasy under circumstances denoting that the drug was not solely for his personal use as well as possessing the drug without the special written authorisation of the Superintendent of Public Health. 

The youth, a stonemason, had cooperated throughout the investigation, pointed out prosecuting Inspector John Leigh Howard. 

However, since the accused had no personal documents and no ties to Malta, the prosecution objected to his lawyer’s request for bail. 

His legal aid lawyer, Martin Fenech, argued that the amount of pills found in the accused’s room was relatively small and there was doubt as to whether the rest of the drugs belonged to him.

After hearing submissions the court, presided over by Magistrate Leonard Caruana, turned down the request for bail but urged the prosecution to produce civilian witnesses and to conclude investigations in respect of third parties.