Cocaine bust exposes multi-layered ruthless criminal organisation

Three men charged with drug trafficking following a cocaine bust at Malta Freeport are on the lower rungs of a multi-layered criminal organisation, MaltaToday has learnt. 

The men are linked to a cocaine shipment from Guayaquil in Ecuador to Malta that was intercepted by law enforcement agents at the Birżebbuġa port on 12 November. 

The 146kg of cocaine discovered inside a truck and a container has an estimated street value of €20 million, according to the police. 

Sources close to the investigation have told MaltaToday the three men are part of a criminal organisation that has an intricate web of operatives kept together by promises of generous cash payments and fear of retribution by a “ruthless hidden hand”. 

The drug bust was significant because unlike most cocaine shipments of this scale intercepted at the Freeport, this was destined for the Maltese market. Guayaquil is a notorious port city in Ecuador that serves as a focal point for the export of cocaine produced in Colombia and Peru. 

Photos of the drug bust disseminated by the Police Force show the different branded cocaine bricks and the truck and container where they were hidden

Photos of the drug bust disseminated by the Police Force show the different branded cocaine bricks and the truck and container where they were hidden

Photos of the drug bust disseminated by the Police Force show the different branded cocaine bricks and the truck and container where they were hidden

A police statement on the day of the drug find said four Maltese men were arrested – a 44-year-old from Birżebbuġa, a 46-year-old from Fgura, a 36-year-old from Żebbuġ and a 41-year-old from Żabbar. 

Subsequently, the police charged hauliers Darren Dimech, 46, who was driving the intercepted truck, and Roderick Camilleri, 44, who was a passenger in the vehicle. The police said 105kg of cocaine was found hidden behind the driver and passenger seats, and another 41kg was found in a container that had tampered seals. 

Darren Dimech and Roderick Camilleri inside the prison van as they are escorted to court to face charges of drug trafficking. Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday

The police identified the other two men arrested on the day as Freeport workers, however, they have not been charged yet. Sources close to the Freeport said the two men are security guards and a wider investigation is currently underway to determine whether other port officials are involved. 

A third man unconnected to the initial arrests, Kurt Scicluna, 31, from Żejtun, was later arraigned on charges that include conspiracy to traffic drugs, trafficking of cocaine, criminal association and money laundering. 

Scicluna resides in a farmhouse between Zejtun and Zabbar. During his arrest, police also seized jewellery, luxury cars and significant amounts of cash. 

All three men have pleaded not guilty and are currently being held in custody as the compilation of evidence against them continues. 

Cash promises and a car dealer 

Testifying in court, Inspector Mark Anthony Mercieca said Dimech had told his lawyer that he was offered a payment of between €5,000 and €10,000 by Camilleri to assist him in the Freeport operation. 

The inspector also testified that Camilleri told Dimech to “drive outside” because the “security guards know about us”. The truck was nonetheless stopped and searched, leading to the cocaine discovery. 

It is unclear so far what led the police to arrest Scicluna a few days later but sources told MaltaToday he was flagged as the person, who allegedly put Camilleri and Dimech to the job offering a generous payment running into thousands of euros as compensation. 

In court, Scicluna stated that he is a self-employed chef. However, research carried out by MaltaToday shows that he also owns a car dealership in Għaxaq that goes by his initials – KS Autodealer. 

Last year, the Local Enforcement System Agency (LESA) took legal action against Scicluna and sought a warrant of seizure, claiming it was owed almost €11,000. 
Investigators believe that Scicluna, like the two accused caught red handed at the Freeport, is a player on the lower rungs of a multi-tiered criminal organisation. 

The sources said further arrests are not excluded as investigators try to uncover what has been described as a “ruthless hidden hand”. 

In court, Roderick Camilleri is represented by lawyers Jason Azzopardi, Kris Busietta and Alessandro Farrugia while Darren Dimech is represented by lawyers Franco Debono and George Anton Buttiġieġ. The prosecution in this case is being led by police inspectors Mark Mercieca, John Leigh Howard and Francesco Mizzi, aided by lawyer Maria Francesca Spiteri from the Attorney General's office. 

Meanwhile, Kurt Scicluna is represented by lawyers Roberto Spiteri and Michael Sciriha. The prosecution in this case is being led by inspectors Mark Mercieca and Lianne Bonello, aided by lawyers Kevin Valletta and Maria Francesca Spiteri from the AG’s office.