Four Maltese stevedores remain stranded in Italy after they were stopped by the authorities on Thursday. They had been making their way down to Malta with merchandise purchased by Maltese businessmen from the centre of Catania and Misterbianco.

The four men were intercepted by the Guardia di Finanza who suspected that they were carrying contraband goods and that they did not have the necessary documentation of the merchandise they were carrying.

The men handed over all the receipts and invoices they had available, but the goods were still seized, as the Italians yesterday ordered them to unload all the boxes.

This process should continue on Monday. If all the items and the receipts tally, then the Guardia di Finanza will compile a report and pass it on to the inquiring magistrate who will then decide whether they can leave. The decision has to be taken within 48 hours.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.