A total of 263 live birds, 33 sets of clap nets and illegal bird callers have been confiscated by the police following reports.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) organisation said their reports led the police to 27 trapping sites used for the illegal trapping of finches and other protected birds.
Acting swiftly on the video evidence provided by CABS, 24 people were identified as suspects and were expected to be taken to court and charged with trapping during the closed season.
CABS said the hotspots of illegal trapping were fields near Fawwara, Dingli and Żurrieq as well as Sannat and Qala in Gozo.
One illegal trapping site was discovered in fields in front of the Ta' Pinu Basilica in Għarb.
The organisation said that, on Monday, the police inspected a compound near Siġġiewi which had been reported by CABS as a site used for illegal trapping.
Upon their arrival, the officers discovered three large active clap nets and a "huge illegal collection of live birds" including Red Throated Pipits, Short-toed Larks, Golden Plovers, Dotterels, Dunnocks and various buntings including one Rustic Bunting, an extremely rare visitor to the Maltese islands.
A total of 107 live birds were seized and handed over to BirdLife Malta for rehabilitation. The trapper was apprehended on site.
CABS uploaded a video showing Gozo police officers chasing and apprehending trappers with one of them being handcuffed after trying to run off.
The organisation criticised the government for its "controversial finch research", labelling it "a cynical manipulation of the words of the European Bird´s directive".
“Most people in Malta and abroad are aware that the claims Malta makes about scientific finch trapping are a sham to protect poachers. Many of the sites used for poaching in spring are registered for the research derogation in autumn,” CABS wildlife crime officer Fiona Burrows said.
She added that trusting the owners of these sites with "scientific trapping" is like letting the fox guard the henhouse.