Malta Police Dismantle Organised Crime Group Involved in Drug Trafficking

After weeks of investigations and surveillance, and through Intelligence-Led Policing, the Malta Police Force have dismantled an organised crime group involved in drug importation and trafficking across Europe on Saturday.

Acting on gathered intelligence, officers surrounded an apartment block on Triq Alfred Craig, Tal-Pietà, on Saturday morning.

From these apartments, they arrested three men and a woman, all Romanian nationals, and seized approximately 10 kilograms of cannabis with an estimated street value of €150,000. Another Romanian man was arrested at a hotel in Gżira.

The arrested men are aged 36, 40, and 44, while the woman is 33. They were being held at the Floriana police lock-up and were arraigned in court today at noon (12:00) before Magistrate Dr Marsanne Farrugia LL.D.

In court, Stelica State, 44, Ion Palade, 36, Claudiu Dangeanu, and Petronela Chiriac, 33, were all charged with the possession and trafficking of cannabis. Dangeanu also faced an additional charge of possessing a psychoactive substance.

All four pleaded not guilty and none of them requested any bail. The court, presided over by Magistrate Marsanne Farrugia, also ordered the freezing of their assets.

Chiriac was defended by lawyers Franco Debono and Adreanna Zammit, whilst the others received legal aid from lawyer Martine Herrera.

The prosecution was led by inspectors Alfredo Mangion and John Leigh Howard alongside AG lawyer Maria Francesca Spiteri.

#MaltaDaily