The PN on Friday said it was "extremely concerned" about the drug situation in Malta, and the recent discovery of dismembered body parts in a suitcase in Gżira only heightened this worry.
The party said that while it fully respected the judicial process, the published facts suggested that the case was linked to a drug trafficking ring operating in Malta.
"The PN’s concern also arises against the backdrop of reports indicating that both the presence of drugs in our country and the demand for them are continuously on the rise.
"Naturally, this has negative consequences on individuals, families, and ultimately society as a whole," the party said.
Thanking security officials and professionals working on this case, the PN said the incident was proof of the dangerous networks present in Malta.
In a report on organised crime in EU member states, published by Europol in April under the title ‘Decoding the EU’s most threatening criminal networks’, Malta appeared on an unfavourable list, exposing the shortcomings of our authorities in the fight against organised crime, the PN added.
"Our country enjoys the advantage of natural borders and is supposedly in control of what enters and leaves the country.
"However, it seems that this advantage is not being utilised in the public interest to ensure security within our borders."
It urged the government to demonstrate it was genuinely addressing such issues and to send a clear message that there was no room or tolerance for organised crime in Malta.
PL: PN is populist and shallow
Reacting, the PL said instead of commending the police for arresting a suspect within 72 hours of the gruesome discovery, the PN had expressed its concern about the case.
"Populists, shallow, and partisans. The police are doing their best to fight crime and its causes to keep Malta safe.
"The Labour government comes down hard on organised crime and drug traffickers, unlike previous PN governments that allowed them to go back to their country (Brazil, remember?) as free men," the PL said.
"Could it be that the PN is using this case as a diversion from the internal trouble it currently has with one of its deputies?"