The police are holding a number of people for questioning in connection with the discovery of contraband cigarettes on board a Libyan-registered fishing vessel yesterday.

The cigarettes, around 5,000, were found by Customs officials and the police during an early raid at a Paola shipyard.

The haul is the second in two days. On Saturday, the police intercepted a cabin cruiser in Grand Harbour and found 450,000 contraband cigarettes on board. Two handguns were also seized from the vessel.

Two Maltese nationals were held by the police for questioning in connection with that case, police said.

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