Times of Malta newspaper said that a Maltese fugitive couple: Jomic Calleja Maatouk and Marzia Calleja Maatouk, who had been previously listed on Europol’s most wanted list, were located in Libya, adding that the man was arrested near Tripoli, while his wife was believed to have been found dead.
The couple disappeared last August, shortly after Calleja Maatouk was sentenced to five years in prison for importing explosives and attempting to purchase lethal poison on the dark web. Their disappearance triggered a Europe-wide manhunt, and they were subsequently added to Europol’s most wanted list.
Reports from the Times of Malta and TVM confirmed that Calleja was apprehended on Wednesday near Tripoli after local authorities received a tip-off about the couple’s presence in the area. Libyan authorities, informed through diplomatic channels, quickly dispatched Maltese-trained troops to the scene.
Jomic Calleja was found alive following a search of the area, but his wife was discovered dead. An autopsy is scheduled in the coming days to confirm her identity and determine the cause of death, the reports said.
Calleja Maatouk’s criminal activities included attempts to purchase radioactive material Polonium-210, killer poison Ricin, and the highly potent synthetic opioid fentanyl online. He communicated with dark web vendors, specifying that he needed five doses initially, with plans for more in the future, the reports said.
"When his efforts to source these toxins failed, Calleja Maatouk ordered the explosive C-4. Maltese police intercepted the shipment through a controlled delivery operation. This incident was not his first brush with the law; previously, he had been charged with importing gunpowder without a permit." The reports added.
The reports said that Marzia was not implicated in her husband’s dark web activities, but she faced her own legal issues. In 2019, she was caught with 340 grams of cannabis in a car, alongside Jomic. She was later sentenced to 15 months in prison for possession with intent to traffic.
The reports said that the operation in Libya highlighted the strong diplomatic ties between Malta and Libya’s Government of National Unity.
Jomic Calleja Maatouk is now in Libyan custody and is expected to be extradited to Malta, where he faces charges for skipping bail.
