Customs Malta intercepted a record breaking 1.494 tonnes of cocaine at the Malta Freeport.

Customs officials, stationed at the Freeport Scanning Facility, seized 50 bags containing 1,494 blocks of cocaine, weighing one kilogram each, during a day-long operation, the department said.

The container, which was transporting bananas, was en-route from Colombia to Koper in Slovenia.

The case was handed over to the Malta Police drug squad for further investigation and duty Magistrate Lenard Caruana is leading the inquiry.

 

The seizure is historical both in its size and value, as the drug haul is estimated to have a street value of €300 million.

Customs Malta said it has been breaking its cocaine seizure records, year on year, with 2019 recording a total of 750kg (in 13 separate seizures), 2020: 612kg (in 1 seizure), 2021:740kg (in 1 seizure) and 2022: 800kg and 1494kg in two separate seizures.

Just last month, 800kg of cocaine were intercepted and seized by Customs Malta at the Freeport.