The Nationalist Party placed 226 kg of fake drugs outside parliament to give a visual representation of what was stolen from an army barracks in Safi.

PN MPs Albert Buttigieg and Graziella Attard Previ stood outside parliament in front of the display, asking how it was possible to steal such an amount of drugs from what should be a secure compound. 

"We wanted to show what 200 kg of drugs looks like. Most people have no idea what this looks like," he said.

He reiterated the party’s demand for Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri to resign from cabinet over the serious breach of security at the Armed Forces of Malta barracks. 

Visual representation of the cannabis resin that was stolen. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

“The PN cannot treat this as business as usual," he said. 

Camilleri offered his resignation to Robert Abela after the theft but agreed to stay on in his role following support from the prime minister and cabinet.

But Buttigieg pointed out that it is the latest in a series of controversies involving entities under his watch, including a recent damning Ombudsman report on abuse that was perpetrated in prison under its former director Alex Dalli.

Buttigieg said Camilleri should have resigned then. 

Albert Buttigieg and Graziella Attard Previ addressed the media.

Attard Previ criticised Abela's decision to decline Camilleri's resignation.

“By refusing his resignation request, the prime minister is sending a message for other Ministers who can do what they want as they will not be held accountable for anything that happens under their noses,” she added.

Members of cabinet and Labour MPs walk to parliament with Byron Camilleri, front, third from left, in a show of support on Tuesday. Photo:Jonathan Borg

The police announced that eight people were arrested in connection with this drug heist from the Armed Forces of Malta army base.

All eight are Maltese, some are known to the police and they are expected to be arraigned later on Wednesday. At a crime conference on Tuesday evening, police chief Angelo Gafa declined to say whether any of those arrested were members of the Armed Forces of Mata.

So far, the police have recouped around 85 kg of the stolen drugs.

Arrests began on Tuesday morning, after, on Sunday, the AFM noticed that someone stole the cannabis resin. The drugs were being held there inside a sealed container at the request of the Court Services Agency as they were part of a large seizure of cannabis resin made at Malta Freeport last June.