Police are not excluding that the cold-bloodied murder of trucker Raymond Caruana on Friday night was a contract killing possibly linked to drugs or payback for a deal gone wrong, sources told The Sunday Times of Malta.

Investigations are still in the early stages but an assault rifle found inside a burnt car abandoned in a field at Tal-Virtù could prove to be crucial evidence for police if the cartridges match those found on the crime scene.

Police Assistant Commissioner Silvio Valletta told a crime conference last night that the charred remains of the Opel Corsa, which had been stolen from Pietà last September, was discovered by a farmer at 2pm yesterday.

The type of weapon used and method of assassination are thrusting police investigations into examining the possible link with the tit-for-tat killings by gang members embarking on turf wars over the past three years. “We will be speaking to all those who were somehow involved in his life. We’re exploring every avenue and not ruling out anything at this stage,” Mr Valletta said.

Mr Caruana, 54, had just reversed his Jeep Wrangler out of his farmhouse in Triq il-Buskett, limits of Żebbuġ, and was about to drive off when he was gunned to death in a hail of bullets at about 9.20pm, on a blustery night.

His assailant was hiding in the long grass with an assault rifle outside the isolated farmhouse and fired some 30 bullets.

At least five or six bullets hit Mr Caruana – across his face, chest, hands and legs – but it is only the autopsy, expected to be held tomorrow, which will determine what dealt the fatal blow.

Although he was badly wounded, the victim managed to crawl out of the car to hide – he was found lying lifeless on his side behind the car. When police arrived, the car was still switched on and the wipers were operating.

The police press conference last night. Photo: Jason Borg

‘Not your typical bully... but he was no angel either’

His girlfriend, who was inside the farmhouse, was the one to raise the alarm. Police believe the man was about to head to his home, close by in Żebbuġ, when he was gunned down.

The farmhouse is surrounded by closed circuit cameras – an indication to police he feared he could be a target, although they never received reports that his life was in danger. But it seems the assailant scoured the place well and hid in a blind spot to avoid detection, sources said.

Asked about this, Mr Valletta said police were still examining the CCTV footage to see if any action was captured.

No arrests have been made and Mr Valletta was reluctant to say what evidence was elevated from the crime scene not to jeopardise investigations.

In December 2012, Mr Caruana, a father of two, had been accused – together with Sandro Psaila – of attempting to bribe the former late Judge Ray Pace to influence the outcome of a sentence in which drug trafficker Darren Desira was jailed for 18 years and fined €46,000.

Asked if Mr Psaila was a person of interest in police investigations, Mr Valletta said it was be “presumptuous to say” and could not exclude anything at the moment.

The case is still pending and in the meantime, Mr Caruana, who worked as a truck driver shifting merchandise across Europe, could continue to work as long as he informed the court of his departure and arrival.

Mr Caruana is also the sole owner, director and shareholder of Dram Properties Limited, which is authorised to buy and sell real estate “with the widest interpretation”, according to company registration documents. The company’s registered office is in Żebbuġ, with another address registered in the British Virgin Islands.

Unlike other real estate companies, an internet search of the company yields no results. There is no history on the internet related to the company, which is unusual for those who seek to sell property.

People who knew him, and spoke to The Sunday Times of Malta on condition of anonymity, described him as a quiet man “who would only speak when spoken to”.

Mr Caruana was not “your typical bully”, but he was “no angel either”.

Police, who were on the scene of the crime till 4am yesterday, are delving into his past and exploring all possibilities.

Investigations are being led by top CID officials, among them Deputy Commissioner Pierre Calleja, Mr Valletta, Keith Arnaud from the homicide squad and Assistant Commissioner Neville Aquilina.

Two years of public brazen shootings

Between 2012 and last year, Malta witnessed a series of mostly unresolved shootings. Some of the cases are linked and have been described as “tit-for-tat killings” by gang members embarking on turf wars. But other cases still seem unconnected.

March 15, 2012: Stephen Zammit and Kevin Gatt, both 32, end up dead after being shot by 45-year-old Joseph Cutajar, known as il-Lion, in a shootout at a garage complex in a residential part of Marsascala. Mr Cutajar claimed he was ambushed and acted in self defence. The word is out that il-Lion has fallen out with Paul Degabriele, known as is-Suldat, with whom he worked previously.

October 2, 2012: Mr Degabriele, 48, from Fgura, asks police to inspect his car after he sees two hooded men act suspiciously next to it through his CCTV system outside his property. A homemade bomb, packed with a kilo of explosives, is pulled out from below his pick-up truck. The suspicion is that il-Lion commissioned 68-year-old Pietru Cassar, il-Ħaqqa, to plant a bomb on is-Suldat.

December 12, 2012: Il-Lion is shot dead early in the morning by an assailant who waits for him close to his Mosta home with an AK-47 rifle. A few hours later, 41-year-old Josef Grech, known as il-Yo-Yo, is found dead with a single shot to the head at Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq. He was due to face trial for his alleged involvement in the murder of Patricia Attard on February 14, 2004 – she was found shot dead in her van in Ta’ Qali.

February 18, 2013: Ronald Galea, 65, from Birkirkara, is shot outside the Ħal Far meat factory he owned. Police held a Maltese man in his 30s in connection with the murder. The man worked in a field similar to that of the victim.

May 31, 2013: Is-Suldat is shot dead in broad daylight by two men waiting for him outside a bar in Marsa.

February 4, 2014: Joe Galea, 58, known as il-Ġilda, is shot 17 times outside his Marsa home in a drive-by shooting with a weapon believed to be a submachine gun.

February 12, 2014: Pietru Cassar, 67, il-Ħaqqa, is shot dead in a Żejtun garage searched by police during murder investigations into the killing of is-Suldat.

April 8, 2014: Vince Muscat, 52, also known as il-Koħħu, is shot three times in the head after he arrives home in Msida at around 11.30pm. He survives and drives to the police station for help. Jonathan Pace, owner of Tyson Butcher, was facing charges over the attempted murder. Mr Muscat himself is charged with his involvement in a failed heist on the HSBC headquarters in 2010.

August 21, 2014: Jonathan Pace, 31, is shot dead while in the balcony of his Fgura home in Mahatma Gandhi Street.