Intercepted phone calls and surveillance by the Security Service, among others, led to the arrest of four men over the failed car bomb attempt in Fgura in January.

Sources said the police had been following the suspects’ movement for “several weeks”.

Their mobile phones had also been tapped, they said.

The police said in a statement the four men were arrested during an operation that started early on Thursday morning. Three are from Birżebbuġa and the fourth from Xgħajra.

The police had been following the suspects for several weeks

Throughout the day on Thursday, the police and members of the Armed Forces of Malta conducted searches in different places which the men had frequented. While on site they were accompanied by experts from the AFM’s bomb disposal unit.

The sources said the arrests were made after investigators extracted intact the SIM card that failed to detonate the explosive device placed underneath a car dealer’s vehicle on January 4.

The card was being considered as “crucial evidence”, they added.

The SIM card had activated but failed to trigger the bomb attached to a Mitsubishi Pajero parked in St Anthony Street. The vehicle belonged to Mario Scicluna, a car dealer from Sannat who resides in Fgura.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia referred to the arrests in tweets.

Dr Muscat said investigations had led to important arrests and breakthroughs in the fight against crime.

Dr Farrugia said the big operation came “after weeks of investigations”.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera, who was leading the inquiry into January’s failed car bomb, was informed of the latest developments.

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