Alleged AFM drug thieves and father arrested in usury raid
Police found exotic birds and over €100,000 cash hidden in ceilings
Two men currently out on bail for a high-profile army drug heist were among six arrested on Monday during a major police operation into a local usury and money laundering ring.
Sources close to the investigation told Times of Malta that Carlos Pace, 24, Cleaven Pace, 20, and their father, Keith Pace, were among those detained after a months-long investigation led the police to a residence where over €100,000 in cash were found hidden inside the ceilings and other places in the house.
It is understood Keith Pace’s parents were also arrested in the raid, during which the police also found several exotic, high-value birds and evidence of a lifestyle far exceeding the family’s declared means.
Carlos and Cleaven Pace are no strangers to the headlines. They are currently awaiting trial for their alleged role in last year’s notorious AFM drug heist, where thieves cut through a perimeter fence at the Safi barracks to steal 132kg of cannabis resin from a shipping container.
The heist caused a national scandal after an inquiry revealed a soldier on guard duty was on the phone with his girlfriend, watching a film, cooking and eating as the theft took place while another soldier was sleeping.
Keith Pace, gained notoriety during his sons’ initial arraignment. He was filmed outside the Valletta law courts threatening a ONE News journalist, an incident for which he later received a suspended sentence.
Carlos and his father were also back in court together last September, accused of blackmailing and harassing a Qormi jeweller.
They allegedly threatened him to hand over gold items they claimed had been stolen from them.
A ‘significant’ blow to local usury
Sources close to the investigation that culminated in Monday’s raid described the operation as ‘very significant’ in the fight against illegal money lending, a crime known to be notoriously difficult to investigate.
Because usury typically relies on verbal agreements and off-the-books transactions, victims – often in desperate financial straits – are frequently too intimidated to report.
Sources said that, notably, the entire operation is local: the suspects, the victims and the flow of illicit cash were all contained within the country.
The suspects are expected to be arraigned on Wednesday.
Beyond usury and money laundering, the charges are likely to include breaches of previous bail conditions and suspended sentences.