Drugs seized by the police and other forces so far this year already exceeds the record amount found last year, Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici said this afternoon.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici in a statement praised the police Drug Squad and the other law enforcement agencies for their work.

He said that by September 28, they had seized 490 kilogrammes of illegal drugs including cocaine, heroin, khat and cannabis along with 24,500 ecstasy or fake ecstasy pills.

The minister also observed that the police had so far this year arraigned 268 people and charged them with drug possession while 126 were accused of drug trafficking. A total of 444 suspects were arrested.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici said the governemnt was committed to give the law enforcement agencies the tools they needed to continue their battle until it was won.

The police and Customs over the past few days separately arrested three people after finding that they were carrying drug capsules in their stomachs. They were stopped at the airport and tested at Mater Dei Hospital, where the officers' suspicions were confirmed.