Two police officers yesterday recounted the events that led up to the seizure of 10 kilogrammes of cannabis in Marsascala earlier this month.

Joseph Zerafa, 30, his wife Sina, 27, both from Marsaxlokk and Charles Camilleri 37, from Marsa, are accused of conspiring to traffic cannabis, and cannabis possession in circumstances indicating that it was not for their own personal use.

Joseph Zerafa alone is accused of reckless and dangerous driving, resisting arrest, damaging a car and disobeying police orders.

Sina Zerafa is under house arrest against a personal guarantee of Lm10,000. During yesterday’s sitting, police inspector Pierre Grech said that the drug squad had received information that a drug deal was to go down in Marsaxlokk on 3 May. He explained that the police placed two teams to monitor both the Zerafas and Camilleri.

He said that they had information that a white car would be involved and this was eventually spotted on 3 May in Marsaxlokk with the two males accused inside. He said that the car was a Suzuki Swift and the police immediately set out to follow it. Insp. Grech said that the officers managed to block off the vehicle thanks to another squad car that was approaching from the opposite direction.

He said that the officers in the car got out and ordered the occupants to surrender themselves. “A warning shot was also fired,” he said.

Insp. Grech said that the driver of the Suzuki rammed it into reverse gear and sped off. “They managed to get away, and we were heading towards Marsascala when we received a call from other officers who said they had apprehended the two men in Marsascala,” he said,

They searched the car and found some five kilogrammes of cannabis inside as well as Lm162 on the person of Camilleri. “We then searched their homes and found that both had some small pieces of cannabis at home. Zerafa also had some Lm360 in cash,” he said.

Police inspector Norbert Ciappara also testified and said that he was watching the homes of the two accused and saw that Sina Zerafa left home with a heavy looking yellow bag. “She went to her father-in-law’s house and I followed. I knocked on the door but I did not get an answer,” he said.

He said he waited there for some time till Sina Zerafa eventually left the house. “I spoke to her father-in-law and told him that I had to search the house in view of what had taken place and he allowed me to do so. The search did, however, turn out to be negative,” he said.

Insp. Ciappara said that he eventually spoke to the couple separately at the police depot, but they did not want to cooperate at first. He said that Joseph Zerafa eventually buckled to the questioning and admitted that someone had told him to keep hold of the drugs for him.

He said that he had already taken a Lm300 down payment for doing so. He also admitted that during the chase, he had phoned his wife to tell her to take the drugs to a safe place.

“We spoke to Sina again who then admitted that she had put the drugs in a black bin liner and then hid another five kilos of cannabis in her parents’ in-law’s oven. She made a point of stressing that they couple did not know what she had done,” concluded the inspector.

The case, presided over by magistrate Giovanni Grixti, continues.

Giannella Caruana Curran appeared for the Zerafas while Kris Busietta and Jason Azzopardi appeared for Camilleri.