Terence Cini charged over 2.5kg cocaine, heroin find

A man with a long criminal record has been remanded in custody after being implicated in a conspiracy to import several kilos of cocaine and heroin.

Terence Cini, 35, from Qormi was arraigned before magistrate Astrid May Grima earlier on Saturday, charged with conspiracy to import cocaine and heroin, complicity in the importation of illicit drugs, importing cocaine and heroin, supplying cocaine and heroin, possession of cocaine and heroin in circumstances which denoted it was not exclusively for his personal use and breaching no less than 4 separate bail decrees. He was also accused of recidivism.

In court today the magistrate heard Inspectors Steven-Ryan Micallef and Justine Grech explain how the police had acted yesterday afternoon on a confidential tip-off about a drug deal.

The police had taken a statement by an informant, later confirmed under oath, that the accused had conspired with others to import drugs.

Cini is understood to have engaged the informant to work for him by importing drugs and selling it whilst Cini was in prison. This person had been caught in the possession of 2.5kgs of cocaine and 250g heroin and decided to collaborate with police. He had released a statement which he confirmed under oath last September, in which he implicated the accused.

Cini was last in the news in August after being charged, together with his girlfriend Amanda Farrugia, with laundering €1 million. Before that, he had received a suspended sentence in 2011for threatening a man with an unlicensed shotgun. He had also been jailed for 16 months in 2013 after being convicted of cocaine and heroin possession.

Bail was not granted and the court remanded Cini in custody.

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