A man and a woman, the brother and wife of an inmate, were yesterday charged with smuggling drugs into prison in June 2002.

Helen Bugeja, 39, from Senglea, and Christian Bugeja, 32, from Cospicua, the wife and brother of Alfred Bugeja, known as Il-Porporina, were charged with smuggling heroin into jail on 28 June 2002.

Ms Bugeja was further charged with relapsing.

The court heard Superintendent Neil Harrison explain how a search on the two yielded no results but when the police continued their searches, they found two sachets of heroin inside a pair of the shoes that the accused allegedly took to prison for their relative.

Before Magistrate Lawrence Quintano, the two pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them.

Superintendent Neil Harrison prosecuted while Dr Franco Debono appeared for the accused.