A 45-year-old man caught with 50,000 ecstasy pills at the Customs Office was arraigned in court on Tuesday and charged with importing drugs with the intent of trafficking them. Englishman Steven Marsden was caught on Monday after traveling back to Malta from Sicily on a catamaran trip. The value of the pills exceeds Lm 250,000($741,594, €582,330).
The man was granted bail on a personal guarantee of Lm10,000. The prosecution led by Inspectors Norbert Ciappara and Dennis Theuma opposed to this ruling, insisting that the man could easily flee Malta granted that he is in contact with numerous people abroad. On request of the prosecution, the Court agreed to freeze Marsden’s assets, save for those which result from legal activities.
Marsden pleaded not guilty.
Laywer Leslie Cuschieri appeared for the Englishman.
The drugs were on in the small hours of Monday morning, hidden in numerous packets which were stashed away in a Mitsubishi Pajero vehicle Marsden was driving. Marsden, who resides in Malta, was caught importing the drugs by the Police along with Customs’ Enforcement Section following intensive investigations. The drug find was described as Malta’s largest ecstasy haul ever.
An 18-year-old Maltese man is also being investigated in relation to the case.
See also:
Police seize large amount of ecstasy
By MaltaMedia News
Jul 10, 2006, 12:01 CET
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