Routine searches conducted today at the Malta Freeport Customs Scanning Facility has once again yielded a sizeable narcotics seizure.

Some refridgerated containers were flagged by the Customs Container Monitoring Unit, due to their high risk route. Preliminary scans, conducted by the Customs Scanning Unit, indicated clearly that two reefer containers were conceiling unknown packets, once again, in the refridgerant compressor compartment. 

The containers were subsequently inspected physically and found to contain:

·        Container number one - 38 packets of cocaine, weighing 45.6 kgs, with an approximate street value of €5.13 million;

·        Container number two – same as the previous with 38 packets of cocaine, weighing 45.6 kgs, with an approximate street value of €5.13 million.

A total of 76 packets, weighing 91.2 kg, were seized during this operation, which account for a street value of a total of €10.26 million of cocaine.

Both reefer containers were carrying fruit and transited through Malta from South America en-route to an EU member state, the department said.

The case was handed over to the Police Anti Drug Squad, who are conducting the investigations. The duty magistrate is leading the inquiry assisted by a team of experts from the Police Forensics Unit.