Man denied bail after getting caught selling cannabis, cocaine from his Marsa house

A covert surveillance operation by police officers resulted in a man being arrested and charged with drug trafficking on Tuesday.

Police Inspector Mark Cremona arraigned Mohammed Hassan Abdukadir, 36, from Somalia before magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo. The inspector told the court how the police had received information in August about a house in Marsa that was being used for drug trafficking. The information had also indicated the defendant as the person behind it.

After obtaining an arrest warrant, police officers surveilling the property spotted him handing over what were recognised to be drugs to another man, at which point uniformed officers were told to move in to arrest him.

Abdukadir is accused of trafficking cannabis, aggravated possession of the same and possession of cocaine in circumstances denoting it was not for personal use.

He pleaded not guilty and requested bail.

The prosecution objected to the bail request, telling the court that the man was found to be carrying some 400 grams of cannabis and a “considerable amount” of money. He had also told the police that he was unemployed, which raised the question as to how he would support himself if granted bail, said the inspector, adding that a civilian witness was yet to testify.

The arrest came after a police surveillance operation on a residence in Marsa, said the inspector. Officers had tailed the defendant who was seen leaving the property until they observed him exchanging some packages with another person in return for cash. The Somali man was stopped and searched, with police finding a substance thought to be cannabis, as well as cash. The man who he had handed the items to was also found to be in possession of suspected cannabis which he had just bought.

Searches at his home recovered more cash, drugs, cocaine and cannabis as well as paraphernalia related to drug trafficking.

Bail was denied.

Lawyer Matthew Xuereb assisted Abdukadir as defence counsel.