High-Stakes Arrest at Safi Barracks Shocks Malta
People in Malta woke up to eye-popping headlines when news broke about Begtash Muka, a 27-year-old Albanian national who had topped the island’s most-wanted lists since a massive Tignè jewelry heist in 2018. His arrest in June 2020 after an armed standoff at Safi Military Barracks added another wild twist to his tale of high-profile crime and risky escapes.
Muka had been dodging authorities for well over a year, suspected of making off with half a million euros worth of jewelry from Diamonds International at Tignè. Police believed he played a leading role in the delicate, meticulously planned raid that left security experts scratching their heads. He’d been on the run ever since, his name surfacing again in June 2020 in a dramatic confrontation that looked straight out of a thriller movie.
From Airport Perimeter to Barracks Standoff
Security at Malta International Airport first spotted Muka acting suspiciously near the perimeter fence. Instead of sticking around, he disappeared toward the well-guarded Safi Military Barracks. Armed with a handgun, he jumped the fence and ran into Detention Service officers. According to court records, things escalated fast—he openly threatened a police officer with his weapon and tried to push his way further into the barracks.
But he picked the wrong place. Soldiers quickly responded, bringing Muka down after a tough scuffle. In the chaos, they recovered his firearm and tracked down a nearby vehicle registered with stolen license plates. A closer look inside revealed cocaine that authorities suspect was intended for distribution, along with further evidence that he’d been using fake car identification to evade the police dragnet.
The list of charges that followed reads like a crime drama’s table of contents: unlawful entry into restricted military grounds, threatening armed officers, illegal firearm possession, driving without a license, possession of cocaine for sale, and making use of a stolen vehicle. Facing the dock before Magistrate Joe Mifsud, Muka pleaded not guilty. For now, he remains behind bars while the wheels of justice spin on.
Lawyers Marita Pace Dimech and prosecuting inspectors Omar Zammit and Melvyn Camilleri are handling the legal fight, intent on holding Muka accountable for what authorities describe as an incredibly dangerous stunt that could have ended in disaster.
If all this sounds like a solo act, it’s not. Begtash Muka isn’t the only family member with a criminal record making headlines. His brother, Daniel Muka, is already locked up for life, convicted of a notorious double murder that shocked Malta only a few years earlier. This isn’t just a story about one man’s fall—it’s a narrative about an entire family embedded in Malta’s violent crime circuit.
And the chaos didn’t stop at his arrest. More recently, court files from 2025 revealed Begtash Muka was handed an 18-month suspended sentence for grievously injuring another inmate during a 2020 prison brawl. Reports mention a violent eruption inside the crowded correctional facility, underscoring just how much volatility follows him wherever he goes.
The Safi barracks saga was initially investigated by Magistrate Marseanne Farrugia, whose early findings paved the way for the major courtroom drama now unfolding. While Muka awaits the outcome of his trial, police and military sources point to his capture as a high point in the effort to clamp down on serious organized crime—especially offenses involving Begtash Muka and those around him.
