A woman who tried to smuggle drugs into prison by stuffing them into a cooked chicken has been cleared of all charges.

In 2006, Tania Calleja, resident in Qormi, was charged with attempting to smuggle heroin into prison and for being in possession of the drug.

On 12 January 2006, Ms Calleja had allegedly left a bag filled with bread, red jelly, doughnuts, baked potatoes, sausages and and two chicken thighs covered in breadcrumbs for a prison inmate, Marco Pace, who she claimed was her nephew.

After she left, prison officer Paul Borg Bonaci was inspecting the food, when he noticed that inside each chicken thigh there was a package. Tests later revealed that the content of the packages was 8.93g of heroin.

When questioned, Ms Calleja denied having put the drug in the food, however the police failed to present her statement in court.

The court ruled that not enough evidence was presented to proof that it was Ms Calleja that left the bag of food and no witness could say for sure it was her.

Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras cleared the woman of all charges.

Assistant police commissioner Norbert Ciappara led the prosecution. Lawyer Edward Gatt represented the woman.