Four denied bail over drug heist from AFM barracks

Updated at 9:30pm with full report

Four men have been charged over their involvement in the theft of over 200kg of cannabis resin from an AFM property on Sunday morning.

Sean Attard, 30, from Ħaż-Żebbuġ, Carlos Pace, 23, from Marsa, Yousef Essesi, 33, from St Paul’s Bay and Cleaven Pace, 19, from Marsa were charged in front of Magistrate Leonard Caruana on Wednesday evening. They all pled not guilty. Carlos Pace and Cleaven Pace are believed to be brothers.

Attard is a security guard, Essesi is a tattoo artist, Carlos Pace works as a taxi driver and Cleaven Pace is unemployed, the court was told.

They were charged with stealing the cannabis between the night of 22 and 23 February from an AFM property, trafficking the drug, being in possession of the stolen substance and recidivism.

Carlos Pace was also charged with breaching bail conditions.

Police discovered 35kg of cannabis resin inside Attard’s car, 33kg after arresting Carlos Pace, and an additional 10kg following Essesi’s arrest. No drugs were found on Cleaven Pace, but he admitted to investigators that he was in the area at the time of the heist.

Others questioned declined to respond.

Investigators tracked down the suspects by tracing the route of a vehicle believed to have been used in the Saturday night heist. The court heard that the vehicle travelled from Kirkop to Safi, then Mqabba, and finally to a property in Żebbuġ. Police raided the Żebbuġ property at 1am on Monday night, arresting four people in the process.

The court was told the 19-year-old accused was in the vicinity of the theft, but had not participated. But a police inspector explained how CCTV footage had recorded him driving after the car used in the heist.

The court was also told there are currently 12 people under police custody, including stevedores who transported the container to the site of the theft. Witnesses who are expected to testify later in the proceedings have also been spoken to by the police.

Journalists harassed outside court

Before proceedings began, several journalists waiting outside court were harassed by family members of the accused.

Journalists were filmed, threatened with beatings and water was thrown at them.

This led to heavy police presence oth inside and outside court, with family members being prohibited from entering the court room during proceedings. Journalists were also later escorted to their vehicles by police officers.

Sean Attard is being represented by lawyers Franco Debono and Matthew Xuereb.

Carlos Pace is being represented by lawyers Franco Debono, Adreana Zammit and Marion Camilleri.

Cleaven Pace is being represented by lawyers Franco Debono and Adreana Zammit.

Yousef Essesi is being represented by lawyer Amadeus Cachia.

Attorney General lawyer Maria Francesca Spiteri is being assisted by Inspectors Mark Mercieca and Joseph Mercieca.