Gangland vendettas, family feuds, and blackmail

Unlike the previous year, 2013 started without any major drama for law enforcement officers but turned into a year seeing eight murders, of which the police solved four. In 2012, the number of murders was 11.

Valentine's Day murder

Four days after Valentine's Day, Ronald Galea, 65, of Birkirkara, was shot outside his meat factory in Hal Far. At around 4:45pm on Monday 18 February, Galea left the Continental Meat Company - a meat factory he owned - and drove off in his Ford Mondeo. Upon exiting the vehicle to lock the gate, a hooded man approached the victim and shot him eight times in the back and head.

A passer-by heard the shots and saw Galea fall to the ground. Immediately calling the police, the eyewitness informed investigators the hooded killer had left the scene in a silver Toyota Vitz. Moments later an ambulance arrived on site but Ronald Galea had lost his fight with death.

Investigators believed that unknown to Galea, his killer had been waiting for him. The weapon used was a 9mm semi-automatic handgun. Two days later, the police held a man in his 30s who worked in the same sector as the victim, to assist them in their investigations. Galea was owed substantial amounts of money, however the credit was all related to his business.

The police did not arraign anybody over the killing.

The gangland saga

Three months later, gunshots claimed the life of another man in the first of four gangland vendetta murders. After pure chance saved him from a car bomb attempt back in 2012, at 11am on 31 May, luck ran out for Paul Degabriele, known as 'Is-Suldat', when he was shot outside the Enemalta customer care office in Belt il-Hazna, Marsa.

The 49-year-old from Fgura, left a coffee bar and entered into his Toyota Hilux when his assailant drove by in a white van. CCTV footage taken from nearby buildings did not confirm if this was a drive-by shooting, or whether the assailant emerged from the car to kill Degabriele.

Witnesses saw a person with bloodstained clothes walking away from the scene. The white van, identified as the assailant's vehicle, was later found burnt in Hamrun.

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Gangland vendettas, family feuds, and blackmail