A report in The Times (August 14) said that Mario Fabri was given a suspended sentence for storing more than 1.5 kg of "explosive material used for shotgun cartridges".

Although black or gunpowder, which is an explosive, can be used in loading shotgun cartridges, since 1882 the practice has been to use smokeless powder (invented by Edward Schultze in 1866) for that purpose. Smokeless powder, a cellulose-based propellant, is not an explosive.

Apparently, in Malta the law makes no distinction and one is only allowed to store a maximum amount of powder (black, or smokeless) - 1.5 kg.

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