A 39-year-old Italian was arrested by the police in St Paul's Bay through a European Arrest Warrant, the police said.

The man is wanted by the Italian police for organised crime and drug trafficking.

Over the past days, the Central Intelligence and Analysis unit within the Police Force were involved in a surveillance operation centred around the man in question, after investigations resulted that he lives in Malta.

At 2am on Tuesday, the police went to an apartment in St Paul's Bay and arrested the man in question.

The operation was part of a collaboration with Italian police officers, where the arrest took place at the same time that officers in Syracuse arrested 31 people tied to drug trafficking which allegedly saw €25,000 made each day by the criminal organisation.

The Italian man was taken to the Police HQ and is expected to be taken to court tomorrow.