One AFM official sacked, another demoted over Safi barracks drug heist

One soldier has been discharged from the Armed Forces of Malta following internal procedures prompted by the drug heist from the Safi barracks, MaltaToday can confirm.

Last February, thieves broke into the AFM’s Safi barracks and stole a large amount of cannabis resin that was seized at the Freeport.

A ministerial inquiry into the incident revealed a soldier tasked with monitoring security cameras on the night of the robbery was watching a film on his tablet. Another soldier on duty had been asleep for two hours and failed to see that his colleague was not paying attention to the monitors.

The soldiers on duty were not immediately discharged from their duties, as Home Affairs minister Byron Camilleri had stated in an interview with MaltaToday, noting that they were subject to internal procedures which have since been concluded.

An AFM spokesperson confirmed on Thursday that 55 charges were issued against six personnel with different ranks, all of whom were found guilty. However, the spokesperson noted that only one individual was discharged from the AFM, while another was demoted.

“In total, the six personnel faced penalties amounting to 134 working days of forfeited pay, formal reprimands and official warnings,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said that official postings were also withdrawn, “leading to loss of allowances and possible hindrance to future promotions.”

The drug heist  

A number of individuals are pleading not guilty to stealing a significant quantity of cannabis resin from what was supposed to be a high-security location. The drugs were meant to be incinerated but due to a technical malfunction, a total of 226kg of cannabis resin were transported to the AFM compound in Safi.

During court proceedings, it was revealed the thieves were at the site of the container housing the drugs for over two hours, and remained unnoticed.

The court heard that initially, all 226kg of drugs had been reported missing from the AFM container. However, forensic police later determined that the actual amount stolen was 132kg.

Accused being escorted to Corradino Correctional Facility from the Valletta law courts (Photos: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)

Inspector Mark Anthony Mercieca also told the court that CCTV footage showed individuals running inside the barracks between midnight and 2:30am. Two thieves were seen entering the container three times and emerged holding shopping bags. They reportedly exited the barracks through a hole in the metal fence surrounding the premises.

The court also heard that a Toyota Belta was spotted on CCTV footage entering the Kirkop tunnels at around 11pm, with a black Toyota Vitz following closely behind.

On the morning after the theft, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri had offered his resignation to Prime Minister Robert Abela, who turned it down.

A magisterial inquiry into the case revealed severe shortcomings by those tasked with watching the container.

One of the soldiers watched a two-hour movie on his tablet with earphones. Instead of maintaining constant monitoring, the soldier also spent about 15 minutes chatting with his girlfriend on his phone, cooked and ate in the kitchenette, and failed to conduct any patrols or check the container between 11:25am and 2:50am.

Christa Gauci

The inquiry also found multiple security failures that contributed to the breach. The AFM Brigadier had opted against a fixed police presence, arguing that over 30 security cameras were in place, alongside three soldiers conducting surveillance with night vision capabilities and patrols.

However, despite these measures, the security system failed, both in terms of active security (the soldiers and patrols) and passive security (the fence).

In February, an Opposition motion to debate the heist in parliament was shot down by Speaker Anglu Farrugia.

The court will now determine whether the accused should stand trial.