Teddy bear drugs woman extradited to Malta from UK

A woman accused of importing 5,000 ecstasy pills into Malta five years ago and who gave the Metropolitan Police the slip was extradited to Malta on Thursday, the police said.

Rita Bugeja, 53, had originally been arrested at Luqa airport in 2006 with a stash of ecstasy pills hidden in a teddy bear.

She was arraigned and granted bail but in November 2007, a day before her trial was due to start, she went missing. Her family reported her missing but the police immediately suspected she had absconded and issued a European arrest warrant.

Nine months later she was arrested in Whitechapel, London, and was arraigned before the Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

The Metropolitan Police had confirmed she was granted bail in November 2008 but fled a second time.

Ms Bugeja was born in London but lived in Qormi. She is being detained in custody.