Big drug haul in Mellieha

Six men are being held by the police after seven kilogrammes of heroin - one of the biggest hauls in recent years - were seized from a van near Ghadira, limits of Mellieha, the police said yesterday.

The driver of the van, a 32-year-old man from Cospicua who is well-known to the police, made a dash for it as the police closed in and was apprehended on the spot. The man has just been released from prison.

In a joint, tightly run operation between the police and the Armed Forces of Malta, the police stopped another vehicle nearby being driven by a man from Zejtun, also 32, who was found in possession of a large amount of foreign currency including American dollars and euros.

The police allege the drug was imported on board a powerboat and a cabin cruiser intercepted by the AFM in the same operation. This led to the arrest of the other four men aged between 19 and 51. They hail from Cospicua, Kalkara and Marsascala, the police said.

The boats were escorted by the AFM to Haywharf in Pietà and handed over to the police drug squad for further investigation.

The AFM put two patrol boats, an Alouette 3 helicopter, two dinghies and a Rapid Deployment Team into the operation.

Duty magistrate Abigail Lofaro appointed several experts to assist in an inquiry.

A number of persons are to be arraigned in connection with the case soon.