Police Used Drone To Catch Gozo Cannabis Farmer Who Is Currently In Prison After Being Denied Bail
Police officers used a drone as part of an extensive operation that resulted in the arrest and prosecution of a 30-year-old Gozitan man for growing cannabis in his field.
Luke Zammit Haber was hauled to the Gozitan courts this afternoon and charged with cultivation and aggravated possession of cannabis in front of magistrate Simone Grech. He was also charged with possession of LSD and ketamine.
He is pleading not guilty but is being kept in prison after his request for bail was denied.
During today’s sitting, Inspector Mark Mercieca from the police drug squad testified that Zammit Haber was arrested and interrogated after extensive surveillance. Lovin Malta is informed that this operation even included the flying of a police drone over the man’s Xewkija field.
Crucially, the accused has not been charged with trafficking as the police could find no evidence that he was profiting off the plants in any way.
Luke Zammit Haber leaving the Gozitan courts this afternoon (Photo: TVM video)
Although Zammit Haber was found with some 55 plants, Lovin Malta is informed that he could have grown so many because he wasn’t sure which of the seeds were female and which were male.
Only female cannabis plants produce buds that contain a usable amount of THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis.
A self-employed electrician by profession, Zammit Haber is believed to be a regular cannabis user, who also makes use of medical cannabis. Indeed, following his arrest, he asked the police if they could give him some medical cannabis but his request was denied.
Lawyer Matthew Xuereb, who is representing the farmer along with fellow lawyer Alex Scerri Herrera, requested bail for his client, noting that he has a clean criminal record and that bail had been granted to other people charged with cultivation.
He also warned that the police didn’t respect his client’s right to full disclosure of evidence and that certain evidence was leaked to the press before it was shown to the accused.
However, magistrate Simone Grech turned down his request and remanded the man in custody.
Several people in Malta have reacted in disdain and confusion to this case, particularly seeing as it comes a few months after the country partially legalised cannabis for personal use.
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