Outrage After Man Growing One Cannabis Plant In Gozo Has Cavity Searched And Passport Taken
A foreign man living in Gozo has taken to social media to ask for help after he was allegedly arrested, underwent a cavity search and had his ID card and passport confiscated by police over a cannabis plant he was growing.
Lovin Malta has reached out to the police to confirm the incident, with the confirmation still pending.
“So unfortunately, it seems like I need your help,” the man said in a specialist Maltese cannabis group, before breaking down what happened to him and his cannabis plant.
“Someone reported my beautiful plant on my balcony, police came with six to seven men, destroyed it while I was quietly sobbing on my couch, searched the apartment for a few hours, arrested me, took me to the station, stripped me naked, checked my asshole, put me in a cell in my underwear, some hours later questioned me for another while, took my ID card and passport and let me go,” he said.
“Fun day.”
The man asked for references for a lawyer and for advice as he now prepares for court – but Maltese people were shocked at how he was treated.
“The asshole check seems ridiculously unnecessary,” said one person. “You weren’t trying to smuggle anything, you were sitting in your own home. I’d get a lawyer onto that straight away, sounds like a violation that they would have difficulty justifying in court.”
“No need to get a lawyer – plead guilty and you get a fine, it’s the best way out of it,” advised another.
“Police in Malta seem to show excess power and attitude with the little fish,” said a third person. “It’s always been the same here, take all the murder and corruption, yet only some smoke in the air is seen while they walk scot-free.”
The heavy handed approach is reminiscent of the way Gozitan police had approached Daniel Holmes, another foreigner who had been found growing cannabis plants in his home.
During his initial arrest, police had called for takeaway pizza and eaten it on his kitchen table as Holmes watched them right after they had destroyed parts of his home.
Malta depenalised small amounts of cannabis back in 2015, with up to one plant being termed no longer a criminal offence. However, arrests over personal use as well as plant cultivation have continued to happen in the subsequent years.
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