Police raided a complex of garages on St Vincent Street in Hamrun on the afternoon of Thursday 11 January 2018 after a tip-off about a drug deal between an Italian and two Maltese men, watched from 2pm by officers under Inspector Kevin Pulis.[1] Officers stopped Michael Aquilina, 45, of Mosta as he drove a green BMW out of the garages, then found Gordon Schembri, 31, of Floriana standing by a Fiat with Italian plates belonging to Salvatore Coco, 48.[1]
Two bags stuffed with cash sat on the Fiat’s driver seat, and a closer search found a hidden compartment operated by a hydraulic system holding the suspected cannabis resin, plus a remote control device and an empty gym bag.[1] The raid yielded 32 kilograms of cannabis and about 42,000 euros in cash.[1]
Charged and denied bail
All three men were denied bail the next day after pleading not guilty to conspiracy in trafficking cannabis, importation of the drug, complicity and money laundering.[1] When the compilation of evidence opened on 16 January before magistrate Neville Camilleri, the court heard Coco had admitted the drug was his but insisted he was only a mule promised 1,000 euros by his accomplices for ferrying it to Malta.[1] He said he met the two men at a Sliema fast-food outlet some 20 days earlier and was told to carry the consignment from Catania harbour to Pozzallo and then by catamaran to Malta.[1]
