Updated 12.10pm with the arraignment of the van's driver.

The police seized drugs having a street value of €1.5 million after searching a van that had just arrived from Sicily on Sunday night. The operation was revealed on Tuesday, shortly before the driver was taken to court.  

Drug packets found late on Sunday. (Photo: Police Communications Office)

The drugs, 38 kilos of suspected cocaine, heroin and cannabis, were found in a false compartment in a van.

The police said they were tipped off that the van had left Sicily and officers intercepted it as soon as it landed in Malta.  Sniffer dogs detected the drugs and a search was carried out at the police garage.

The police said an international drugs ring had been broken. 

The van's driver, 28-year-old Bulgarian Mustafa El Madhoun was taken to court late on Tuesday morning and pleaded not guilty to importing cocaine, heroin and cannabis as well as possession of the drugs under circumstances denoting that they were not intended for personal use

Defence lawyer Jose’ Herrera informed the court that the accused was not requesting release from preventive arrest at arraignment stage.

The prosecution requested an asset freezing order, prompting the defence to object on the grounds that such an order would also freeze assets the accused held that were not linked to the alleged crime. 

Magistrate Doreen Clarke however upheld the request for the freezing order, save for a yearly income allowance of just over €13,000.

The accused was remanded in custody.

Inspector Justine Grech prosecuted.

Lawyers Charles Mercieca, Shazoo Ghaznavi and Charlon Gouder were also defence counsel.