Police sniff out cannabis in washing machine after call for help

A frantic call for help by a man who claimed that a former flatmate had turned up outside his home, threatening violence against him, landed the caller in custody after police discovered some five kilos of cannabis inside the flat.

Ivaniciuc Valentin-Ciprian, a 31-year old Romanian residing at Qawra, was escorted to court under arrest hours after his call to the police had brought investigators rushing to his home.

Prosecuting Inspector Clayton Camilleri explained how the man had allegedly told police that a gang of four, among whom was a former bodybuilder flatmate, had turned up outside his apartment, banging on the door.

The terrified occupant had allegedly taken to his heels, jumping over adjoining verandas to get away from his aggressors.

However, upon their arrival at the flat, the officers immediately sensed the strong odour of cannabis, eventually tracking down traces of the drug inside the washing machine, the dustbin and also stowed away beneath a number of garbage bags stacked on the veranda.

The total amount of drugs allegedly stood in the region of five kilos, the inspector explained, adding that some €4,000 in cash had also been discovered inside the man’s flat,...