Four people living in Swieqi have come forward with claims that heavily armed police officers mistakenly raided their apartment, holding them at gunpoint and restraining them in a violent mix-up.

The incident, which occurred last month on Triq is-Swieqi, has been detailed in a judicial protest filed by the residents. They allege that police officers burst into their home without identifying themselves, offering no explanation for the forced entry.

According to their account, one resident opened the door after hearing loud noises in the building's common area, assuming a fight had broken out. Instead, he found himself staring down the barrel of a rifle pointed at his forehead. Frightened, he ran back inside to alert his flatmates.

The residents reportedly tried to take cover on their balcony while calling for emergency assistance, but no help arrived. Moments later, the officers allegedly broke in through the lower level of their duplex.

Once inside, the police are said to have aimed their weapons directly at the residents, ordering them to their knees. The four described the moment as one of sheer terror, believing they were about to be executed. One person was handcuffed, while the others were restrained with cable ties.

It was only after hearing the armed men shouting "police" as they forced entry into a neighboring flat that the residents realized the intruders were law enforcement officers.

They claim the ordeal left them traumatized and deeply distressed, made worse by the fact that they were later prevented from filing a formal police report. A promise from an officer to follow up reportedly never materialized.

The residents allege breaches of their fundamental rights - including the right to liberty and security, protection from inhumane treatment, respect for private life, and the right to an effective remedy.

Their judicial protest holds both the Police Commissioner and the State Advocate accountable for the harm caused, and calls for all body camera recordings and related footage from the raid to be preserved.

The protest was filed by lawyers Edward Gatt, Mark Vassallo, Shaun Zammit, and Carina Nagiah.

In a statement referring to the judicial protest, the police said that the operation in question was carried out at the behest of the duty magistrate. This "risky operation" was related to the importation and trafficking of 76 kilogrammes of cocaine with a street value of €9 million. The police said that it cannot add more details at this stage so as not to prejudice ongoing legal proceedings.