The police this afternoon conducting an intensive search in Marsascala, reportedly in connection with their investigations into the murder of Pietru Cassar in Zejtun, yesterday afternoon.

Forensics experts, accompanied by an army bomb disposal unit and police sniffer dogs, searched a large garage used by Mr Cassar's relatives.

Relatives of the late Joseph Cutajar (Il-Lion) who was shot in Mosta last year, live in the same street.

The search started at about noon and continued for over three hours. A policeman was posted on guard after the search ended.

Cutajar had been accused of a double murder which took place in an underground garage in Marsascala on March 15,2012, and had pleaded self-defence.

He was subsequently murdered in Mosta, when he was shot with a Kalashnikov automatic rifle on December 12, 2012.

Another man, Josef Grech, was also shot dead in Bahar Ic-Caghaq on that same day.

Senior police officers and a court expert were present during this afternoon's search.

When asked yesterday if the murders of Mr Cassar and and other murders were being linked, Police Assistant Commissioner Silvio Valletta said: "These were not indiscriminate shootings. They may be linked, and the police are investigating all avenues."

Times of Malta reported this morning that the police were looking into whether there was a connection between Mr Cassar’s murder, the murder last week of Joseph Galea (Il-Gilda) and the contract killings of Paul Degabriele, (is-Suldat, who was killed in May in Marsa), Joseph Cutajar (il-Lion), and Josef Grech, known as il-Yo-Yo

Explosives and firearms were found in Mr Cassar’s garage in Zejtun in October.