Home Affairs Minister praises police efforts in drug scoop

In a message to the forces of law and order, Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg has praised the efforts of the police and the security service for winning an important battle against criminality in connection with drugs.

The message - sent on Government's behalf - is addressed to police and the security service following the arraignment of 19 people on Friday charged with conspiring to deal in four kilos of cocaine and one kilo of cannabis here and in Italy last May.

They appeared in court amid tight security involving a score of police officers ranking as high as superintendent.

The case is being considered as the most serious drug-related one solved by the police and the security service following months of continuous investigations, field-work and observation.

Four prisoners were among the defendants: Leli Camilleri better known as il-Bully, who opted to file a guilty plea to all the charges brought against him, Mario Camilleri, l-Imniehru, Charles Muscat, il-Pips, and Alfred Bugeja, il-Porporina.

The case is being considered as the second breakthrough, since Police Commissioner John Rizzo took over at the helm of the police force, following the arraignment of former Chief Justice Noel Arrigo and former Judge Patrick Vella over allegations of bribery to reduce the sentence of Mario Camilleri on appeal.

Dr Borg said that these forces and agencies of the state have showed through their determination that the fight against the illegal business of drugs was incessant.

"This year's successes in the fight against criminality were various. They were strengthened by the important amendments to the Criminal Code that have put the police and other security forces in a much stronger position to intervene whenever there is a reasonable suspicion of conspiracy", he said.

Dr Borg said that these new legal tools were being used successfully by the forces of law and order: "These forces, strengthened by special powers given to them by specific laws are showing that the added investment that Government has allocated to them is yielding fruit."

He stressed that the recent operations in the fight against criminality have showed that the co-operation between the different forces and agencies entrusted with law and order in the country was leaving its mark: "This augurs well for the new challenges of the future", he said.

Dr Borg appealed to the forces of law and order to continue in their work, without fear or favour, so that law will prevail.