A suspect trafficker, who was allegedly caught during a drug deal, has been granted bail after spending nine days in preventive custody.

Cliven Mallia, 22, was arrested following a drug squad surveillance operation led by Inspector Jonathan Cassar who took the witness stand on Thursday as the compilation of evidence kicked off.

The prosecuting officer explained how police officers had been surveying a KIA vehicle as it accessed a garage complex in Santa Venera. The driver was stopped by the police at a nearby square.

At first, the man attempted to get away by reversing his vehicle. As officers approached the car they noticed another man seated alongside the driver.

With all doors and windows shut and locked and the driver refusing to budge, the only way of getting to the suspect was for the officers to smash one of the windows.

A search of the vehicle yielded 10 grams of cannabis and some €3,000 in cash.

Both driver and passenger were arrested on site.

The police also searched a garage in Balzan, accessed by Mallia earlier that day. The keys to the premises were found inside the man’s vehicle following his arrest.

Inside that garage the police found some 750 grams of cannabis and plastic sachets with traces of the drug. 

Inspector Cassar told court the two men had allegedly met on that day to strike a drugs deal.

Text messages exchanged between the two appeared to confirm police suspicions, the court was told, although the accused had said, under questioning, that he had a drug problem.

A court-appointed expert confirmed that the drug amounted to 840 grams of cannabis grass.

During Thursday’s hearing, the other man arrested alongside the accused was also called to testify, doing so behind closed doors.

Having heard the main witnesses, the court upheld the request for bail against a deposit of €3,000, a personal guarantee of €10,000, an order to sign the bail book every day and a curfew.

The case continues. Lawyers Franco Debono and Amadeus Cachia were defence counsel.