Two Sicilians and a Maltese man were arrested after they were caught with what is being described as the largest single haul of cannabis this year.

The drugs were found hidden in packages among boxes of melons and watermelons. The packages were found inside two separate vans carrying the fruit on their arrival from Sicily.

The three, aged 28, 30 and 31, were caught by drug squad officers on Thursday night. Inside the vans, Drug Squad police found 100kg of cannabis grass and 100kg of cannabis resin.

One of the suspects is from San Ġwann and the other two Italian nationals from Sicily, police said. All three are being held for questioning.

Sources said the police had been tipped off about the consignment and had mounted surveillance. The police were monitoring the arrival of the cannabis packages and followed closely as they were being loaded into the two vans. Once the loading was done, the vans took off in different directions. One was intercepted in Luqa and the other one was stopped in Ta’ Qali.

The vans took off in different directions

Magistrate Charmaine Galea Sciberras is leading an inquiry into the case. The police are expected to charge the three men in court today.

It is police’s second significant cannabis operation within a matter of weeks. Late last month, officers arrested two men after finding 84 kilogrammes of cannabis hidden in a furniture van.

In February, 150 kilogrammes were traced in a false bottom of a merchant vessel while 111 kilogrammes had been found in a house in Birkirkara.