Black powder found in 40 bags was incendiary substance

The black powder contained in 40 bags found on Saturday night consisted of an incendiary substance used to make fireworks, sources said yesterday.

The bags were spotted by a police patrol in Kalkara Creek, between Vittoriosa and Kalkara. Some were on land and others in the sea.

The police called the army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit to recover the bags, which were taken to the unit's base in Manoel Island for further examination.

The material was disposed of safely after it was established what the powder consisted of, the sources said.

A magisterial inquiry has been opened.

A similar case was reported on September 3, when an undisclosed amount of explosive material used to make fireworks was confiscated by Customs officers from onboard a cargo ship about to leave the island. The mv Eurocargo Istanbul that was berthed at Laboratory Wharf in Marsa was about to leave for Catania.