Two men were remanded in custody on Tuesday after allegedly being involved in a drug deal on Monday that was busted by police who seized some five kilos of cocaine. 

Agostino Agius, 53 from Attard was arraigned alongside Daren Desira, a 47-year-old driver from Balzan, pleaded not guilty to possessing cocaine under circumstances denoting that the drug was not solely for personal use and procuring the drug. They were also charged with unauthorised possession of the drug.

Agius was charged separately with breaching bail granted in 2016, while Desira was accused of relapsing. 

The prosecution explained that the Drug Squad had received confidential information about an upcoming drug deal involving the pair. 

On Monday, at around 12.50pm, police officers zeroed in on Desira as he exited the block where Agius lived at Attard. 

He was carrying a paper bag containing packets of cocaine, weighing over one kilo. 

Police proceeded indoors, entering Agius’ apartment where on a kitchen top they discovered digital weighing scales and packets containing a substance similar to that in the paper bag in Desira’s possession. 

There were another four kilos of cocaine in those packets. 

Inside the flat, there were also two suitcases, one of which was open and had a false bottom, revealing traces of the drug which had just been removed. 

Defence lawyer Giannella de Marco pointed out that Desira had been arrested on the street after allegedly leaving the block of apartments. 

He was actually arrested just outside the block, “on the parapet”, specified the prosecutors. 

No request for bail was made at arraignment stage. 

The court, presided over by Magistrate Astrid May Grima, upheld a request for a freezing order over all assets of both accused, except for an annual statutory allowance of €13,976.24. 

Inspectors Marshal Mallia and Alfredo Mangion prosecuted.  Lawyers Giannella de Marco and Francois Dalli were counsel to Desira. Lawyers Franco Debono and Matthew Xuereb were counsel to Agius.