Police Superintendent Neil Harrison yesterday told the court that the police intercepted around 34 phone calls from the Corradino Corrective Facility to Amsterdam between 2001 and 2002.
Supt Harrison was testifying in the compilation of evidence against Hassan Ben Salah, a 31-year-old Moroccan-born Dutchman, who was extradited from Amsterdam to Malta last week to answer charges of conspiring to deal in cocaine and cannabis, both inside and outside Malta.
Ben Salah was charged with conspiring to deal in cocaine, in or outside Malta on 4 June 2002 and during the preceding seven years, and between 1 July 2002 and 25 July 2005.
He was also charged with conspiring to deal in cannabis, in or outside Malta on 4 June 2002 and during the preceding seven years. He was extradited to Malta after a European arrest warrant was issued following an application filed by local police, who said they had enough evidence to prove that he formed part of a wider circle of drug dealers trafficking cocaine and cannabis to Malta.
Supt Harrison told the court, presided over by Magistrate Miriam Hayman, that these phone calls were allegedly made by inmates and clearly showed that Ben Salah was the supplier. He added that Ben Salah supplied drugs to Malta for the past 10 years.
The superintendent told the court that in 1999, the police were informed that Malta was receiving drugs from a young person who spoke Dutch.
In his testimony he mentioned three large drug busts: two kilograms of cocaine in December 2001 at the Seaport, four kilograms of cocaine in Catania in April 2002, and six kilograms of cocaine in a container in July 2005.
He added that, according to the police, it was Ben Salah who supplied the drugs in these three cases.
In September 2005, Supt Harrison told the court he was contacted by the Dutch police who told him that Paul Debattista, a drug trafficker known as il-Bloqq from Paola, was arrested in the Netherlands for money laundering, along with Ben Salah.
He pointed out that although it was Ben Salah who informed the Dutch police that Debattista was in the Netherlands for a drug consignment, no drugs were found during a police search.
Both men were jailed for two years after they were found guilty of money laundering with the aim of financing drugs, he added.
In 2004, Debattista was accused of attempted murder after he tried running over several policemen with a car, he told the court.
Supt Harrison said he heard the recorded telephone conversations made by the Maltese inmates several times and recognised the voice of Ben Salah when he interrogated him.
However, defence lawyer Michael Mallia told the court that one needs facts to confirm allegations.
In his testimony, Police Inspector Norbert Ciappara said that following further investigations, the police suspected Ben Salah was behind the six kilograms of cocaine seized in the container in September 2005.
Police Superintendent Neil Harrison and Police Inspector Norbert Ciappara are leading the prosecution. Dr Emmanuel Mallia is appearing for the defendant.