A suspected drug trafficker arrested on the third attempt within two months was on Monday remanded in custody, while his partner, accused of helping him flee police officers, was also denied bail. 

Morat Abdikadir Mohammed Naswanon had been on the police's wanted list for weeks.

The 33-year old Libyan national who lives in Valletta has several drug-related brushes with the law. He landed back under police surveillance upon suspicion that he was once again trafficking drugs. 

In November the police started surveilling Morat and his partner Judith Bakoush at a hotel in St Julian's. On November 24, officers stopped Morat outside the hotel entrance. 

But just as a police officer was about to hand over the arrest warrant, Morat made a run for it and managed to escape.

Inside the hotel room occupied by Morat the police found Bakoush and several drugs, including 22 packets of cocaine, seven ecstasy pills and two sachets of cannabis grass. 

Bakoush was arraigned and her partner was placed on the police wanted list while investigations continued. 

Although his registered address was at a Valletta residence, police checks showed that no Morat was living there. 

Further investigations led police to a Qawra address. 

But when officers moved in to raid the property on December 26, the wanted man fled through the back door. 

The corps then turned on the public, asking for help to track down the man.

Investigators meanwhile kept a close watch over his partner who was granted bail on December 20. 

The woman breached bail conditions and visited the Qawra residence in the evening after curfew hours. She had been found there when Morat managed to get away. 

That time, the inspector handling the investigations had warned her to abide by bail conditions. However she persisted in not signing her bail book at the Valletta police station.

Further surveillance led investigators to a third locality - a Kirkop residence where last Saturday the couple were found, together with the owner of the property, Inspector Mark Anthony Mercieca told court.

This time, they managed to arrest both.

Morat and Bakoush were arraigned separately on Monday. 

Morat pleaded not guilty to possession of cocaine, heroin, cannabis and ecstasy under circumstances denoting that the drugs were not solely for personal use. 

He was further charged with failing to obey legitimate police orders, escaping from police custody, committing the crimes within 100 metres of a place frequented by youths as well as relapsing. 

He pleaded not guilty. 

His lawyers made no request for bail at arraignment stage. 

As for Bakoush, she too pleaded not guilty to aiding her boyfriend to escape police and for allegedly breaching four bail decrees and relapsing. 

Her lawyer, Franco Debono, pointed out that she had presented medical certificates to justify her failure to sign the bail book.

But the prosecutor rebutted that Bakoush had only gone to the doctor on January 7. 

A request for bail was objected to by the prosecution who highlighted the fact that Bakoush allegedly assisted Morat while he was on the run. 

She was under four bail decrees, had skipped signing, was out after curfew hours and was staying at other places that were not her registered address. 

Besides, other civilians including a third person who was still in hospital - were yet to to testify, argued Mercieca. 

The court, presided over by magistrate Kevan Azzopardi, turned down the request. 

Inspector John Leigh Howard also prosecuted. 

Lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri and Francesca Zarb were defence counsel.