Qormi site of macabre discovery is notorious drugs hotspot

The area at the Qormi valley where a man's lifeless body was found inside the trunk of an abandoned car is known to be frequented by drug dealers and consumers.

The body of a murdered man was found in the trunk of a grey Peugeot 407 with the registration plate BGY074, but the corpse is yet to be identified by the police due to the heavy state of decomposition.

The police have confirmed that the car is the same one flagged in a police statement over a missing person report for 62-year-old Mario Farrugia from Pembroke, who was last seen on 28 March close to his home.

A photo of the back side of the car shows what appear to be bloodstains from the trunk trickling down to the bumper, although this has not been confirmed.

Brown stains on the back side of the car suggest this may be blood (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)

Sources who spoke to this newspaper said the area where the car was parked is frequently frequented by heroin drug dealers and users. “It’s not a rare sight to see a small group of people huddled up under the valley walls,” a source said.

They said the use of heroin in the area is well known among residents. “The further in one walks, the more secluded the area becomes as it is surrounded by private fields.”

While the body is yet to be identified, all evidence seems to suggest that the dead man is Mario Farrugia. His niece, Francesca Farrugia, took to Facebook to say “the man found in the trunk is 99.9%” her uncle.

“Most of you found out in the same way my family did… by luck or through social media, because in this country moral and ethics are inexistent. Nobody deserves such a tragic ending! May you Rest in Peace dear uncle… I am more than sure you are in a much better place than the sick world we live in!” she said.

Onlookers who witnessed the scene of the discovery on Tuesday told MaltaToday that Farrugia could have frequented the area, although this claim is as yet unverifiable.

An eywitness source claims that on various occasions, Farrugia had visited shops in the area asking to use a mobile phone or soliciting small change.

Investigations are being led by the police’s major crimes division and the vice squad. Magistrate Gabriella Vella is conducting an inquiry.