Soldiers have handed nine persons to the police for investigation after finding them in possession of illegal substances.

Six other people were also held after their vehicles were found to lack licence discs or insurance documents.

The first drug-related arrest was made on Thursday when a 34-year-old man from Xewkija was observed disposing of an object as his car approached a vehicle check-point (VCP).The object was later found to be a container with cannabis in leaf form.

Yesterday evening four men and a woman, all foreigners in their twenties, were found in possession of a quantity of cannabis resin in their vehicle whilst en route to Gozo.

Later in the day, the soldiers held an 18-year-old woman from Naxxar after finding her in possession of two quantities of cannabis resin and other drug related paraphernalia while travelling in a taxi.

Separately, an 18-year old man from Attard was detained when he was found in possession of what the AFM said was 'a fairly large quantity of cannabis resin and a small quantity of ecstasy pills'.

Early this morning, members of 4 Regiment's Training School detained a 29-year-old Gozitan man when he was found in possession of a suspected illegal substance.