Maltese Man Goes Missing Amid Pending Appeal To Five-Year Prison Sentence Over Explosives
Jomic Calleja Maatouk is suspected to have fled the country amid an appeal to a five-year prison sentence delivered in July for importing explosives.
The 36-year old from Żebbug was convicted of importing explosives and lethal poisons over the darkweb and sentenced to five years in prison by Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech.
But since he was not tried in a criminal court, Calleja Maatouk had the option to appeal the decision, which meant that he could be allowed out of custody until the appeal is finalised.
Times of Malta has reported that Calleja Maatouk failed to sign the bail book for a number of days and is now being considered a wanted man.
Family members have also reported his partner as missing as they have not heard from her in days.
In July the court described Calleja Maatouk as a “lethal weapon” capable of unleashing “chaos and destruction” due to the substances he was illegally bringing into the country.
Disturbing messages retrieved by investigators revealed Calleja Maatouk’s original plan to purchase lethal substances such as polonium 210, ricin, and fentanyl from the dark web.
This is not the first time that Calleja Maatouk has tried to run away from the law, with the having an extensive criminal record.
In the meantime, law enforcement officers suspect that the two may have fled the country, but nothing has been confirmed as yet.
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