10kg of cannabis was discovered yesterday hidden in a vehicle during routine checks by the Customs Canine Unit and by Customs Enforcement Unit.

Sparky, one of the new Customs sniffer dogs had flagged the vehicle – which belongs to an Italian national – when it arrived in Malta by ferry from Sicily. The Customs Unit said that the approximate street value is calculated to be 20,000 euros.

The dog flagged the vehicle and an initial physical search did not yield any visible results. However, the Unit said that Sparky persisted with his reaction.

They then suspected that the car had a hidden compartment, so the vehicle was transferred to the Police garage where the Police experts dismantled all its panels and drugs were taken from two separate, well hidden compartments.

The Customs Unit said that it is believed that the Police Anti-Drug Squad have widened their investigations and persons have been arraigned. Duty Magistrate, Dr Joe Mifsud, is leading a Magisterial inquiry,

“This case developed in parallel with the earlier reported case at the Freeport where 44 kilogrammes of cocaine, worth 4.5 million euros have been seized,” the Unit said.

This means that two substantial narcotics seizures were made in two separate locations by the Customs special teams.

The Customs Department concluded by saying that it “hailed the cooperation that exists between Customs and Police and expresses its gratitude towards the Police Department who always assist in these situations.”

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