Police investigators uncovered an “ongoing” car bomb plot while probing an unexploded device found beneath a vehicle in Fgura earlier this year.

The investigation into the Fgura case led to the arraignment of three men on Saturday, who were accused of the attempted murder of two people. But, sources said, the probe also gave rise to suspicion that another car bombing was being planned.

At one point, the police considered biding their time in an attempt to apprehend the plotters red-handed, given the intelligence they had gathered, but this was shot down as being “too risky”.

“Can you imagine if something had happened while the police were investigating this further? It would have been a disaster. Human lives must always come first,” the sources said.

The plan’s intended target could not be immediately established, however investigators were chasing up a lead, the sources said.

The Fgura bomb led to four men’s arraignment

Lorenzo Callus, 49, of Qrendi, Paul Farrugia, 34, of Xgħajra and Jonathan Farrugia, 24, of Birżebbuġa appeared before Magistrate Aaron Bugeja on Saturday charged with the attempted murder of Gozitan auto dealer Mario Scicluna and his partner, Elaine Galdes.

A fourth man who had been arrested with them was released on police bail.

The arraignment followed weeks of investigations after an unexploded car bomb was discovered beneath a Mitsubishi Shogun parked in St Anthony Street at about 6.30pm on January 4. The device’s detonator had been triggered but the bomb had failed to explode.

The three accused were arrested on Thursday when police and Armed Forces officers, accompanied by bomb disposal experts, searched a number of places frequented by the suspects. Intercepted phone calls and surveillance by the Security Service had led to the arrests, the police said.

The sources said a crucial piece of evidence was a SIM card that had been removed intact from the unexploded Fgura bomb. The Sunday Times of Malta reported that the government was considering legislating to create a database listing all SIM card details and their owners, to facilitate the fight against crime, though this could lead to privacy concerns.

Apart from the attempted murders, the three men were also accused of forming part of a criminal group, conspiring to commit a crime and possessing explosive material for illicit purposes.

ivan.martin@timesofmalta.com