Venezuelans charged for foiled cocaine smuggling operation

Two Venezuelans have been remanded in custody after being charged in connection with a 2kg cocaine bust.

In separate arraignments before magistrate Monica Vella this morning, 31-year-old David Rafael Castillo and 38-year-old Geraldine Mora Huizi were charged with conspiracy to import cocaine, assisting in the importation of cocaine and possession of the drug.

The court heard police inspector Justine Grech explain how police, acting on “confidential information” had arrested Castillo at the airport on Sunday on suspicion that he had swallowed a number of capsules of cocaine. Subsequent X-rays confirmed the man had ingested around 100 capsules, containing a total of 1kg of cocaine. Huizi was arrested at a hotel in Bugibba after communications to his mobile phone were traced to her. A further kilogramme of the drug was found in the sink in her hotel room, the court was told.

“We are talking about organised crime,” Inspector Grech said. “A person abroad had instructed them to leave Brazil, catch a flight in Zurich and then to Malta. They were waiting for instructions at the time of their arrest.”

The pair have no connection to Malta.

Inspector Jonathan Caruana explained that he was informed that the man had ingested 100 capsules in Brazil and arrived from Sao Paolo via Zurich. “The second person [Huizi] also arrived from Zurich but was not on the same flight. However, connections between the two were found, including on her mobile.”

Lawyers Leontine Calleja and Benjamin Valenzia, for Castillo and Huizi respectively, informed the court that the accused would be pleading not guilty to the charges.

Valenzia informed the court that the accused had signed a consent form to being X rayed before being allowed to speak to a lawyer. This issue had been raised in previous cases, the lawyer said, reserving the right to institute a constitutional action at a later stage. Inspector Caruana described the matter as “irrelevant”, saying an X-ray is always performed in such cases.

Neither of the accused requested to be released on bail at this stage.