The recent spate of killings and mutilations as a result of bomb explosions on Malta’s streets has inevitably raised public concern. There were three such explosions in 2016 alone. This year ushered in a car bomb that went off as a man was driving past the Maltapost headquarters in Qormi, killing him. Only a few days ago, an improvised explosive device, as such bombs are technically referred to, blew up in Msida in a major traffic-packed road.
The driver of the vehicle is in a critical condition in hospital. But bombs also invariably cause collateral damage among innocent bystanders. Five people were treated for shock and light injuries and four vehicles in the vicinity were damaged.
While, in terms of their effect on people’s fears for their safety, these bombings are strikingly similar to those perpetrated by terrorist organisations - such as the Irish Republican Army bombings in London 30 years ago and Muslim jihadist groups in major cities of Europe recently - they stem from a different root cause. So far as the authorities have been able to ascertain, what Malta has witnessed is the result of home-grown Maltese criminals - settling scores among themselves by using explosive devices as their latest weapon of choice.
Of course, that is no consolation to innocent members of the public. Can anything be done to stop it? The answer must be yes. It would be a terrible counsel of despair if the answer were otherwise.
The question is what can be done. None of the cases involving explosions in recent years have been solved. This is an indictment not only on the police force and the intelligence service but also on members of the public who must observe suspicious behaviour from time to time but which they are fail to report.
There are civic as well as police responsibilities to crime prevention. Still, the key responsibility lies with the forces of law and order. It is almost inconceivable in an island the size of Malta that the police do not possess fairly comprehensive knowledge of the country’s top 50 criminals. The crux lies in the quality of human and technical intelligence available.
The centre-piece of successful counter-criminal action is first-class intelligence. Good intelligence and comprehensive surveillance can thwart any criminal action.
Human intelligence can be obtained from infiltration of criminal gangs by police informers.
The telecommunications revolution has transformed the way criminals communicate with one another. The ability of even the most sophisticated security services to monitor all such data to provide up-to-date intelligence to prevent the kind of internecine criminal atrocities caused by car bombs has become difficult, it is not impossible. But efforts can properly targeted.
Making an improvised explosive device requires a number of simple component parts, of which explosive is the most important. Malta has strict rules about the control of the explosives and chemicals that comprise fireworks. The police and the Armed Forces of Malta, which controls the distribution of explosives, must tighten up their procedures in this area.
The police force has had a chequered four years, with far too many changes and indifferent leadership. The spate of killings and car bombings is further undermining confidence. But it would be wrong to regard improvised explosive devices as a political issue. On the contrary, there is a need for a bipartisan approach.
The government must be supported in ensuring that the police and the intelligence service are given the legal investigatory means and adequate resources to make citizens safe.