A Maltese man is under arrest after police found 7kg of suspected cocaine and 100 grams of cannabis hidden inside his van as he crossed over from Sicily to Malta.

The 37-year-old Fgura man was stopped as he dismenbarked from the catamaran between the two islands on Friday night.

Police searched the Ford Transit van he was driving and found the drugs stashed in an axle of one of the van’s rear wheels. Authorities have placed an estimated street value of more than €400,000 on the drug haul.

The man was placed under arrest and taken to a lock-up at police headquarters in Floriana. He is expected to be arraigned later on Saturday or on Sunday.

Customs officials assisted the police during the operation.

Correction July 30, 2023: A previous version stated that police found heroin, rather than cocaine, in the van.

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