It was just after midnight when the first convenience store was robbed at gunpoint. The store, located on the bustling Triq San Gwann, was still buzzing with late-night shoppers. The masked men stormed in, brandishing firearms, and made off with the day’s takings. This was just the beginning of a crime spree that would see two men spend a combined total of 22 years behind bars.

The convenience stores of Malta were under siege. Over the course of six months, five stores were targeted in a series of brazen armed hold-ups. The modus operandi was always the same: strike late at night, catch the store off guard, and make a quick getaway. The robbers always wore masks and carried firearms, leaving store owners and customers terrified in their wake.

It wasn’t until the fifth robbery, at a store on Triq il-Kbira in Birkirkara, that the net began to close. The store owner, brave despite his fear, managed to activate a silent alarm. Police were quick to respond, and a high-speed chase ensued. The robbers, in their haste, dropped their masks and a gun. Their faces and fingerprints were now on record.

The police investigation led them to two men: 35-year-old Joseph Vella from Msida and 28-year-old Mario Azzopardi from Birkirkara. Both had form, with previous convictions for robbery and assault. But this time, the evidence was irrefutable. Fingerprints lifted from the discarded mask and gun matched those on file. CCTV footage placed them at the scene of each crime.

Vella and Azzopardi were arrested and charged with five counts of armed robbery. The trial was a grim affair, with store owners and customers reliving their ordeals in court. The jury, however, had little doubt. Both men were found guilty and sentenced to 11 years each.

For Vella and Azzopardi, their actions have cost them dearly. They will spend the next decade behind bars, paying for their crimes. But what of the convenience stores they terrorized? Many have since installed CCTV systems and panic buttons, determined not to be caught off guard again. The late-night shoppers, too, have changed their habits, opting for safer, better-lit streets.

As for the store owners, they remain philosophical. “It’s part of doing business,” says one, a veteran of the industry. “You have to be prepared for anything. But we won’t let fear dictate our lives. We’ll keep our stores open, keep serving our community.”

And so, life in Malta’s convenience stores goes on. The memory of the armed hold-ups lingers, a stark reminder of the darker side of human nature. But the spirit of resilience and community remains undimmed, a beacon of hope in the face of adversity.