Lethal weapon' fugitive caught in Libya

A Maltese fugitive couple on Europol’s most wanted list has been found in Libya, with one of them deceased.

Jomic Calleja Maatouk was apprehended by Libyan troops on Thursday evening. The arresting officers informed Maltese authorities that his wife, 24-year-old Marzia, was found dead.

The couple had disappeared last August, shortly after Calleja Maatouk was sentenced to five years in prison for importing explosives and attempting to purchase a lethal poison on the dark web.

Their disappearance sparked a Europe-wide manhunt, leading to their inclusion on Europol's list of most wanted fugitives. Intelligence sources initially believed the couple fled Malta by sea and were hiding in Serbia.

Efforts to track them down continued over the following months, with indications that the couple had spent time in Italy before moving to North Africa. On Wednesday morning, the Calleja Maatouk couple was located about 90 minutes east of Tripoli, and Libyan authorities were promptly notified through diplomatic channels.

Sources reported that Maltese-trained Libyan troops were dispatched to the area within hours. They discovered a dead body matching the description of Marzia Calleja Maatouk.

Jomic, 38, was found alive after a search of the surrounding area.

An autopsy will be performed in the coming days to confirm the identity and cause of death.

Marzia's brother, Marvin Zammit, posted a tribute to her on Friday morning, seemingly confirming her death.

Jomic Calleja Maatouk, now in Libyan custody, is expected to be extradited to Malta, where he is wanted for skipping bail.

A magistrate described him as a “lethal weapon” last year after the court heard that he attempted to purchase radioactive Polonium-210, the poison Ricin, and the potent synthetic opioid fentanyl online. He told dark web vendors he was targeting a person between 165cm and 175cm tall and needed five doses initially, with plans to order more later. When he couldn’t obtain these toxins, he ordered the explosive C-4 instead. Maltese police were alerted to the shipment and caught Calleja Maatouk through a controlled delivery operation.