Lm1m worth of drugs seized in record haul

Over 11 kilos of heroin with a street value of about Lm1 million were seized at the airport yesterday in what the police described as the island's largest drug haul.

The Drug Squad is holding three men in connection with the find, a Turk and two Maltese who are well known to the police. The police said they expected to arraign a number of persons in the coming days.

The record haul was made in a sting operation conducted by the police and the Customs Enforcement Unit.

They found 11.4 kilos of heroin in a false bottom of a piece of luggage belonging to a Turkish passenger who had just landed from Istanbul.

Sources put the street value of the haul at Lm1 million (€2.33 million).

The Maltese men arrested are a 40-year-old residing in Mosta and a 27-year-old residing in St Paul's Bay.

Further investigations led to the discovery of large amounts of cash in Maltese and foreign currency at the home of a relative of one of the men being held in custody, the police said.

Duty Magistrate Joseph Apap Bologna is holding an inquiry with the assistance of court experts.