Copyright maltatoday
A coordinated police raid in Marsa has led to the arrest and arraignment of three men accused of running an active drug trafficking operation involving heroin, cocaine and other substances packaged for sale. Gianluca Abela (27, Bormla), Edward Borg (38, Marsaskala), and Sean Grima (38, Fgura), appeared before the court on Wednesday, charged with trafficking and possession of dangerous drugs not for their personal use, as well as criminal conspiracy. The arraignment followed a large-scale operation conducted on 28 October, which stemmed from information received by the police’s Drug Squad about suspected trafficking activity in Marsa. The operation, led by Inspector Alfredo Mangion and coordinated on-site, resulted in five arrests. Another individual linked to the same network remains hospitalised and is expected to be charged in the coming days. During the searches, police discovered large quantities of drugs across several locations, including a church building, where 60 sachets were found hidden, and additional caches amounting to over 200 sachets containing suspected heroin, cocaine and other substances. More drugs were later found in the village area, bringing the total seized to around 100 grams. One of the suspects, Edward Borg, allegedly attempted to flee when police arrived but was later apprehended. A search at his residence in Wied il-Għajn did not yield any further substances, though investigators stated the items seized at other sites linked to him indicated coordinated trafficking activity. The prosecution told the court that drug addicts turned up at the scene while officers were still on site, allegedly looking for the accused men, a factor the prosecution said reinforced the claim that the trio were actively distributing drugs. The prosecution objected to the presence of lawyer Charles Mercieca in the court room, noting that he represented another person arrested in connection with the same investigation but not present in the sitting. “I don’t even know anything about it,” Mercieca argued. The three pleaded not guilty to all the charges brought against them. Grima, an unemployed 38-year-old, was additionally charged as a recidivist, having previous convictions for drug offences, including one dating back to 2019 and confirmed in 2023. Abela, a baker from Bormla, was accused of breaching bail conditions previously imposed in another case. Borg, a shop owner from Marsascala, was said to have a clean criminal record. The defence requested bail, arguing that Edward Borg in particular should not remain imprisoned before trial, given his completely clear record and presumption of innocence. “We risk losing sight of the central issue, whether a person with no prior convictions should be held in custody despite a presumption of innocence,” defence lawyer Franco Debono argued. The prosecution objected strongly, insisting the offences were serious and organised, involving communication with buyers and distribution networks, and that two of the accused were already recidivists or had breached previous bail conditions. He further argued that several witnesses, including civilians with drug dependencies, were yet to testify and could be vulnerable to interference. After hearing both sides, the court denied bail for all three accused, noting the gravity of the charges, the risk of witness tampering, and the ongoing nature of the investigation. The court also urged the prosecution to ensure that key witnesses testify as soon as possible and confirmed the issuance of a freezing order over the accused’s assets. The prosecution was led by Inspector Alfredo Mangion, assisted by AG lawyer Julian Scicluna. The defence for Gianluca Abela was led by Alex Scerri Herrera, Matthew Xuereb, and Franco Debono. For Edward Borg and Sean Grima, it was led by Franco Debono and Anthea Bonnici Zammit. Magistrate Leonard Caruana presided over the case.
