It was perhaps only a matter of time until television scriptwriters latched on to Malta's Individual Investment Programme as a plotline. 

The inevitable happened last month with Netflix's hit series Shooter featuring a pair of Turkish terrorists who purchase Maltese citizenship through the controversial programme.

The episode, 'Hunting Party', aired on 18 July and, with 2.77 million viewers, it has been the series' most-watched episode.

The opening sequence shows the series' protagonists looking at photos of "suicide bombers from Malta" who "bought their passports."

The characters go on to observe how "Malta sells economic citizenship" and that the Turkish terrorists "rolled in on Maltese passports."

Not exactly the kind of advertising Henley & Partners, Prime Minister Muscat or his chief of staff are looking for, and it is equally doubtful the clips will feature in their forthcoming overseas promotional events.