Syrian charged with drug find

Alnafouri Mohammed Nour, 19 of Syria, residing in Swieqi, was granted bail after pleading not guilty to charges of drug possession with intent to traffic, and relapsing.

On Saturday, drug squad officers were tipped off that the accused was hiding or retrieving drugs from inside a rubble wall close to an apartment he used in Swieqi.

Searching the area, the police found a bag containing 650 grams of cannabis grass. Police officers replaced the cannabis with a dummy package, keeping the area under observation. Moments later Nour was seen approaching the scene, pick the bag up. Upon realising it was empty he threw it away.

The Syrian youth was arrested and a search was carried out at the apartment close to where the drugs were found. Inside the residence drug paraphernalia were found, as well as a further 600g of cannabis resin beneath the window of an internal shaft connecting the apartment to an abandoned buildlng.

Defence lawyer Gianluca Caruana Curran requested bail for the accused, whom he said was only 19. He said his father was a naturalised citezen and his mother's application for citizenship was being processed. "He answered all questions during his statement, there are no civil witnesses and has vouched to reside with his parents," the lawyer said.

Prosecuting officer Nikolai Sant argued that the accused did not cooperate with the investigators and had a history of hindering police work in drug-related cases. "He is not trustworthy and his claims that he earns money from football and boxing are all fabrications", he said.

Magistrate Edwina Grima, granted the accused bail against a deposit of €3,000 and a personal guarantee of €15,000.

Inspector Nikolai Sant prosecuted while lawyers Gianluca Caruana Curran and Joe Giglio appeared for the accused.