Three people have been remanded in custody after being charged with cocaine trafficking and handling stolen goods following a police raid, while searches remain ongoing for a fourth suspect who fled across nearby rooftops.

The accused are Ramon Abela, 51, Leandross Cutajar, 42, and Nicole Brignone, 23, respectively.

The three are collectively facing charges of having associated with any other person or persons in Malta in order to sell or traffic cocaine, and on the same date, time, location and circumstances, trafficked, supplied, procured, or offered to supply or procure the drug cocaine, as well as possessing the same drug.

Abela and Cutajar are jointly charged with knowingly acquiring or receiving stolen property, while Abela faces a separate charge of heroin possession.

Meanwhile, a fourth suspect fled the scene across nearby rooftops, with police searches currently ongoing.

On 13 October, police executed an arrest and search warrant targeting Ramon Abela, his registered residence, and an adjacent property following suspicious activity linked to drug offences.

Investigators had observed several known drug users knocking on the residence.

Abela was arrested after officers found traces of white substances inside the home.

Inside the adjoining residence, police found Leandross Cutajar and Nicole Brignone, alongside drug paraphernalia, and various sums of cash.

Officers also seized a substantial quantity of tools and luxury clothing from one of the residences, a considerable number of which are suspected to be stolen property.

The validity of the arrest was not contested, and all three defendants pleaded not guilty.

No request for bail was made, and they were remanded in custody.        

Duty Magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace presided over the arraignment.

AG lawyer Nadia Ciappara prosecuted, together with Inspectors Mark Mercieca and Hannah Harmer.

Lawyers Matthew Xuereb and Alex Scerri Herrera appeared for Brignone, while lawyer Ryan Ellul represented Abela, and lawyer Ingrid Zammit Young appeared for Cutajar as legal aid.