Man opens door with joint in hand as police swoop apartment

A court last week heard how a man opened the door with a joint in his hand, when police knocked on his door to investigate allegations of drug trafficking.

Police officers testified before Magistrate Edwina Grima, how Malcolm Tanti, 38 of St Julian's, immediately handed over a joint he held in his hand when opening the door to his apartment in B'Kara Hill on 17 August.

"He gave me the joint as soon as he opened the door and I identified myself as a police officer," Sergeant Johan Micallef told the court.

Micallef, who explained that the raid by the Police drug squad on Tanti's apartment followed reports on alleged drug trafficking, said that the accused was immediately cooperative with officers.

He explained that soon after the joint was bagged and labelled as evidence, he escorted Tanti to an awaiting police car.

"But as soon as we got to the car, he told me to go back upstairs with him, because he had more to give me," Micallef said, adding that Tanti then gave him a bag with sachets containing what was suspected to be heroin.

The man was later taken to Police headquarters in Floriana for further investigation.

Tanti was later charged with possessing heroin and cannabis, both in plant form as well as resin, with intention to sell.

He pleaded guilty to possession but not of intent to sell, and was granted bail against a personal guarantee of €10,000.

A court expert was meanwhile appointed to examine the contents of incoming and outgoing phone calls and text messages from the accused's mobile phone.

Inspector Pierre Grech is leading the prosecution.