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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 27 AUGUST 2017 3 News MATTHEW VELLA A Libyan kingpin fuel and human trafficker with well-known links to Malta has been ar- rested by a militia force, after years of un- ceasing criminal activity. Tripoli's Rada Special Deterrence Force on Friday announced it had taken under arrest one of the biggest Libyan fuel smugglers and human traffickers: Fahmi Salim Musa Bin Khalifa from Zuwara, whom Rada dubbed the "king of smuggling", and is reportedly a businessmen with his own transport net- work, property in Malta and investment in tourism. The United Nations' panel of experts on Libya had told the Security Council in a re- port that fuel smuggled from Libya was be- ing transferred between ships on the high seas and brought to Malta. They identified the mastermind as Fahmi Ben Khalifa, who co-owns ADJ Trading with former Malta international footballer Dar- ren Debono and an Egyptian man, Ibrahim Arafa Ahmed. The company is now in dissolution. The UN report's detailed annex on fuel smuggling had linked ADJ Trading to the fuel smuggling business and pointed out that the Maltese authorities were aware of the company's activities. In a statement released late on Friday, the Rada militia said that it had arrested Khal- ifa, "one of the biggest smugglers of hydro- carbons and manipulators of Libyan assets, the famous 'smuggling king' of Zuwara." "He is considered to be one of the biggest smug- glers across the (Medi- terranean) Sea, and owns transporters. He is also very active in send- ing death boats across the (Libyan) shores of Zuwara and Sabratha. The suspect's activity increased until he be- came known as the 'king of smuggling'." Rada also said Khalifa owns property in Malta and Turkey, and was building a tourist village in the Libyan coastal city of Zuwara. "During preliminary investigations, he re- ported that there are many other figures im- plicated with him in fuel smuggling in the city (of Zuwara and neighbour- ing cities of Zawia and Sabratha)," Rada said, which is issuing arrest warrants for collabora- tors. The arrest of the smug- gling kingpin comes in the wake of renewed Eu- ropean efforts to bolster Libyan coastguard capac- ity to patrol territorial waters and stop boatloads of refugees and asylum seekers from reaching Europe. The UN's panel of experts had said in their report on Khalifa that ships smuggling fuel sail south from Malta to between 40 and 60 nautical miles off the Libyan coast, where they turn off the automated identification system, a tracking system. After they are loaded, they return to Malta. The vessels remain adrift at least 12 nautical miles off the coast, outside Maltese territorial waters, while they discharge the fuel to other vessels that carry it to the coast. The UN report linked Khalifa to two ves- sels involved in the smuggling, Basbosa Star and Amazigh F, which changed her name in December last year to Sea Master X. In 10 instances both vessels were detected along- side each other on the limits of Maltese ter- ritorial waters during 2015. Company records show that Khalifa held €330,000 worth of shares in ADJ Trading, with the same amount held by Debono and Arafa. Debono also owns the company An- drea Martina Ltd, which operates the Bonu 5. The UN report said marine traffic data showed Bonu 5 approached the Amazigh F and Basbosa Star on September 24, 2015. The three vessels were side-by-side. While ADJ Trading is in dissolution, with the last filed company records being those for 2015, Debono formed a new company in 2016, World Water Holdings Ltd. Khalifa was said to have controlled a mi- litia and chaired the board of directors of a Libyan company, Tiuboda Oil and Gas Ser- vices Limited, which requested a licence to import fuel into Malta. The report said that according to the Maltese authorities, the re- quest was rejected owing to the situation in Libya. Tripoli's Rada Special Deterrence Force on Friday announced it had taken under arrest one of the biggest Libyan fuel smugglers and human traffickers: Fahmi Salim Musa Bin Khalifa from Zuwara, whom Rada dubbed the "king of smuggling" owner, possibly Eucharist Bajada or the two companies. That 'rent' was, allegedly, from illicit activi- ties such as prostitution. Adding to the suspicion of pros- titution, was the fact that Ema- nuel Bajada himself was in 2005 charged with living off the earn- ings of prostitution in Malta, to- gether with his son Victor, and of having organised a brothel at two of his properties, Adam's Guesthouse in St Julian's, and Pace's Guesthouse in Sliema. His defence counsel at the time hap- pened to be Chris Cardona – the future Labour minister. During his press conference yes- terday, Delia said that his client – the property owner – had rented out the house to a tenant, whose identity he did not confirm but said was also Maltese, who in turn sub-let the place. However, when it turned out that the place was being used for "illicit purposes" – prostitution – Delia said he took legal action against the tenants. "I roped in British lawyers to take up my client's case against one of the tenants," Delia said, adding that he was bound by con- fidentiality and could not elabo- rate further. Delia also declared he had not been party to any money launder- ing, and that he was only render- ing legal services. For the question remains, if Greek Street was truly owned by Eucharist Bajada – with whom Delia happens to be involved in Patience Developments Ltd, al- beit as a nominal 1% shareholder – why was Delia collecting rental money through an offshore bank account from Bajada's brother Emanuel. "My client took out an insurance policy on the building which in it- self shows that the property was never intentioned for illicit activi- ties," Delia said. Asked whether he felt he would reconsider his leadership bid in light of the controversy, he again insisted he had done nothing wrong, had never lied, and did not have any political responsibility at the time he was representing his client. "It is clear that somebody is us- ing Daphne Caruana Galizia to undermine my leadership bid. This happened only after a huge wave of support for someone like me, who can promote a new way." ypace@mediatoday.com.mt Kingpin smuggler with Malta links arrested by Libyans The Rada militia said that it had arrested Khalifa, "one of the biggest smugglers of hydrocarbons and manipulators of Libyan assets, the famous 'smuggling king' of Zuwara."