Arriving tourist held after drug find

A Swiss man is being investigated by the Drug Squad after the Customs Anti-Drug Squad (CADS) discovered 18 grammes of cannabis resin in his bag on arrival at Malta International Airport from Zurich on Sunday evening.

Customs Department public relations officer Alfred Cappello said the passenger, Hohenof Gary Andre, 36, told customs that the drugs were for his personal use.

The man was handed to the Drug Squad for further investigations.

Mr Cappello said that sniffer dogs and their handlers from CADS were carrying out checks on luggage which arrived on board Air Malta's flight KM491 from Zurich at about 10 p.m. on Sunday.

In what was referred to as a 'covert' operation, customs sniffer dogs were deployed to check the luggage on the carousel before the conveyor line took the luggage to the hall where passengers collect their luggage.

The bag was taken away by customs officers for closer investigation.

Mr Cappello said the officers confiscated a blue bag which contained a piece of cannabis resin.