Updated: Alleged heroin trafficker charged

A 26-year-old man from Marsascala was arraigned today charged with conspiring to traffic drugs into Malta. His arrest followed an intensive international investigation that had followed a find of 2.2 kilograms of heroin in Germany in April 2011. The police said this morning German customs personnel had stopped three Lithuanians in a vehicle where the drugs were found. More intensive investigations in Malta and abroad by the Maltese police and customs officials, German customs and Europol, led to the identification of a Maltese person who was involved in this and other consignments headed to Malta. Police Inspector Herman Mula told the court that the Lithuanian men had named the accused, Clive Butler. Mr Butler's movements across Europe were traced and tracked, including his money transfers. Defence lawyer Edward Gatt requested bail and said that if his client was not granted bail today it was evident that he would never get it, because of procedure. The prosecution opposed bail on grounds that this was a very serious crime. Magistrate Antonio Mizzi granted the accused bail against a personal guarantee of €50,000.