A man who was wanted in Malta in connection with a fraud case dating back seven years was arrested in France, the Maltese police said.

A European arrest warrant had been issued by the authorities, leading to the arrest of the man from Niger, aged 35, who after facing procedures to be extradited to Malta, was brought over this morning from Paris, escorted by two police officers.

In October 2013, the police had arrested two men from Congo who were about to leave Malta. The two were also linked to the case after a Maltese jeweller had reported that he had paid €75,000 for gold items which resulted to be fake.

The sale had taken place in a Gzira hotel, with the jeweller realising the fraud after the men had left with the money.

A few days later the two from Congo men had been charged with the offence and they had been found guilty the following August. They had each been sentenced to two years and six months in prison.

A third person was believed to have been involved in the case and it resulted that he had escaped from Malta. Further investigations led the police to trace the man from Niger to France, and a European Arrest warrant had been issued.

The man is to face proceedings in Maltese courts.