Man charged after 25kg cannabis haul

A Pembroke resident has been charged with importing 25kg of cannabis, estimated to be worth over half a million Euro, following a police raid on a Sliema garage earlier this week.

40-year-old Davide Bonanno from Sicily was arrested together with two other Italian men earlier this week in a police raid on a garage in Matthew Pulis Street.  

Officers from the Rapid Intervention Unit and Drugs Squad had descended upon the garage together with sniffer dogs in the raid last Monday. The drugs were discovered inside boxes that also contained packets of tissues.

Sources said the drugs, which had an approximate street value in excess of €500,000, had arrived in a shipping container from Sicily.

Before Magistrate Simone Grech, Police Inspectors Jonathan Cassar and Mark Anthony Mercieca charged Bonanno with conspiracy to sell cannabis, importing cannabis, complicity in drug importation and possession of cannabis.

The defence informed the court that the accused would not be entering a plea. A not guilty plea was entered by the court on his behalf.

Bail was not requested as witnesses are yet to testify, but the defence requested that the court order the prosecution to bring its witnesses as soon as possible. The police pledged to do so.

The man’s assets were frozen at the prosecution’s request, as per normal procedure in drugs cases.

Lawyers Arthur Azzopardi and Rene Darmanin were defence counsel.