Bouncer remanded in custody after drug find

A 29 year-old bouncer from Qawra has been remanded in custody in connection with the discovery of a large cache of illegal drugs.

Inspector Malcolm Bondin charged Casey Anthony Vella with trafficking in cocaine and ecstasy. Arrested last month, Vella was found to be carrying 150 grams of cocaine, several ecstasy pills and small amounts of mephedrone and cannabis.

Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona was told how the drugs were in packets ready for trafficking. It had been previously reported that police had retrieved a further 1,000 ecstasy pills together with drug paraphernalia - including electric weighing scales and small plastic bags - in a search of the accused’s house.

The charges against Vella, who works as a bouncer at a Paceville club, are aggravated by the fact that the alleged offences took place in an area frequented by young people.

Vella pleaded not guilty. Defence lawyers Michael and Lucio Sciriha did not request bail but requested that Vella be held in the forensic unit in prison.

The court upheld a request by the prosecution for the freezing of assets. The decision as to whether to house the inmate at the forensic unit was left up to the Prisons Director, after noting that the prosecution did not oppose the request.