Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1542865
4 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 28 JANUARY 2026 prosecution objected, citing the seri- NEWS Police smash criminal network, seize drugs and stacks of cash POLICE seized around 13kg of suspected cocaine and can- nabis during a coordinated operation targeting foreign criminal networks operating in Malta. During the operation nearly €387,000 in cash was also re- covered. The operation, carried out on Wednesday, led to the arrest of four men and a woman in con- nection with drug trafficking, money laundering and partic- ipation in a criminal organisa- tion. All five suspects are Italian nationals aged between 27 and 35. Simultaneous searches were conducted at several residenc- es in Msida, Sliema and Swieqi. During the raids, police found and seized suspected cocaine, cannabis resin and cannabis with an estimated street value of €250,000. In addition to the drugs and cash, officers confiscated clothing and jewellery worth around €150,000, two vehicles and a firearm. The weapon was later confirmed to have been reported stolen. A magisterial inquiry has been opened and is being led by Magistrate Monica Borg Galea, who has appointed a number of experts to assist with the investigation. Police said investigations are ongoing. KARL AZZOPARDI kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt During the raids, police found and seized suspected cocaine, cannabis resin and cannabis with an estimated street value of €250,000 (Photo: Malta Police) PN requests MCCAA, REWS investigation into billing irregularities at ARMS THE Nationalist Party has for- mally called for separate inves- tigations by the Malta Compe- tition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA) and the Regulator for Energy and Wa- ter Services (REWS) into the billing irregularities at ARMS. The request was filed by Shadow Minister for Ener- gy and Water Conservation Mark Anthony Sammut and Shadow Minister for Inclusion and Consumer Rights Grazi- ella Galea who this morning formally presented two sepa- rate letters to the two entities, requesting that they urgently investigate the ARMS billing case. "As it had pledged to do in re- cent days after raising the issue of the ARMS billing debacle, the PN is calling for an inves- tigation into how thousands of Maltese and Gozitan families ended up paying higher bills than they should have because they were not granted the Eco-reduction to which they were entitled. This occurred despite the fact that ARMS had been aware of an error in its system for at least a year," the party said in a statement. "In its request to the MCCAA, the PN focused on consumer rights, the lack of transparen- cy, and the fact that refunds were only issued to those who complained, while thousands of others continued to overpay without ever being informed," a party statement read. In its request to the regulator, the PN called for a technical and regulatory investigation in- to the billing method, the gov- ernance of ARMS, and whether the excess funds collected are being unjustly retained. The PN is also calling for automatic and backdated refunds, as well as for penalties to be consid- ered where applicable. "The PN expects both author- ities to act independently of the government, the minister and ARMS, in order to immediately protect consumers and restore the trust that has been lost in the country's energy system," it said. Energy Minister Miriam Dalli has asked for an independent audit of ARMS's accounting system despite the company saying earlier billing problems were resolved. In a statement, the ministry said ARMS had reconfirmed that its system is now function- ing correctly and that the issue, which the company had previ- ously acknowledged, had been resolved. KARL AZZOPARDI kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt Shadow Minister for Energy and Water Conservation Mark Anthony Sammut and Shadow Minister for Inclusion and Consumer Rights Graziella Galea this morning formally presented two separate letters to the two entities, requesting they urgently investigate the ARMS billing case