(Adds AFM statement)

The police were investigating a case of suspected illegal export of pyrotechnics after manufactured pyrotechnics were found in a container yesterday evening.

The container had already been loaded onto a ship at Laboratory Wharf in Grand Harbour.

Magistrate Edwina Grima is holding an inquiry assisted by court experts.

The AFM in a separate statement said the explosive material was ready-for-use fireworks, which had been hidden behind some wooden container pallets. Their 'considerable number' could not be immediately ascertained at the time.

The material will be destroyed.

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.