Four arrested and charged for 10 kilograms of cannabis

The criminal prosecution revealed that, on March 8, the police received information on a Romanian drug trafficking network operating in Europe, including in Malta. One of the individuals involved, Petronela Chiriac, was confirmed to be in Malta.

Claudiu Danganu and Ion Palade recently arrived in the country and were frequently seen using a vehicle related to Petronela, who lived on Triq Il-Pietà. The police said both men regularly visited a specific apartment and spent most of the time there.

Two days before arrests, the State Stelica arrived in Malta in Sicily through Catamaran, leading an Audi. Later, he joined the other three people, which caused the police to intensify their supervision. The investigators then provided a search warrant for the apartment, where they discovered four big black bags containing drugs. These bags held a total of 73 cannabis packs, with a weight of about 10 kilograms.

Petronela was arrested inside the apartment, which was rented on her behalf. Stelica and Ion were later detained.

Meanwhile, Claudiu was arrested separately at a hotel in Gday, where he spent the previous night. However, the police mentioned that, in the days before the arrest, he stayed in the same apartment as the others.

The criminal prosecution said that the statements were taken from the accused, and a search for their vehicle discovered hidden compartments, along with traces of cannabis.

Appearing in front of the magistrate Marsanne Farrugia, all four did not plead guilty.

Their defense team, led by lawyers Franco Debono, Adana Zammit and Martina Herrera, did not submit a bail. The court ordered to remain in arrest and approve the request of the criminal prosecution to freeze their assets and to prohibit the transfer of their properties.