Four Swieqi residents claim armed police raided wrong apartment in violent blunder

Updated at 4:05pm with police statement

Four residents of Swieqi have described a terrifying ordeal in which heavily armed police officers allegedly stormed their apartment, pointed guns at them and handcuffed them after arriving at the wrong address.

The incident came to light after the residents filed a judicial protest claiming that the officers unlawfully and violently entered their home on Triq is-Swieqi last month. According to the protest, the officers displayed no identification and did not explain why they had forced their way into the apartment. 

One resident reportedly opened the door after hearing commotion in the common area, thinking there was a fight. As he did so, an armed officer allegedly pointed a rifle at his forehead, causing him to retreat and alert his flatmates.

The residents said they sought refuge on the balcony and contacted emergency services, but no assistance arrived. The officers then allegedly forced entry through the lower level of the duplex. 

The residents alleged that the officers pointed rifles directly at their faces and held them on their knees at gunpoint, making them believe that they would be executed. During the raid, one resident was handcuffed and his hands further bound with cable ties.  The others also had their hands restrained with cable ties.

It was only after hearing the armed men yell “police” w hile forcibly entering a neighboring apartment in the same building, that the residents realised the intruders were law enforcement officers.

The four residents said the incident caused them severe psychological trauma and distress due to the aggressive conduct. Their distress of the incident was made even worse after they were reportedly prevented from filing a police report about the incident. A police officer promised to contact them but never did.

The individuals claimed violations of their rights to liberty and security, freedom from inhumane or degrading treatment, the right to private iand family life and the right to an effective remedy.

The judicial protest held the Police Commissioner and the State Advocate responsible for the damages suffered , with the individuals demanding that all body camera footage and other recordings from the alleged raid be preserved.

The judicial protest was signed by lawyers Edward Gatt, Mark Vassallo, Shaun Zammit, and Carina Nagiah.

In a statement released after reports circulated of the raid, the Malta Police Force said that officials had been following an arrest mandate issued by the duty magistrate.

"This risky operation had concerned operations of alleged drug importation and trafficking about a 76kg drug seizure of suspected cocaine, with an estimated street value of around €9 million."

The police said it will not be giving more details so as not to prejudice legal procedures.