All The Major Drug Hauls By Customs Officials In Malta In 2018
It’s been a busy year for Maltese customs officials, with the Customs Department having hauled the largest ever quantity of drugs in a given year.
Just yesterday, the department registered the second largest drug haul in Malta’s history, intercepting a container hailing from Spain carrying over five tonnes of cannabis resin with a street value of circa €450,000.
Here is the rundown of all the major drug hauls of 2018. These don’t include the drug busts that were coordinated by the police, so all in all it’s been quite the year for narcotics.
1. January 2018
150 kilos of cannabis were found hidden underneath a container vessel moored at the Malta Freeport in Birżebbuġa.
2. February 2018
100 kilos of cocaine were detected in a container situated at the Freeport. The drugs were sent under a controlled delivery procedure to Croatia, where a large criminal gang was arrested.
3. September 2018
11 tonnes of cannabis hidden in two containers arriving from Damascus. This was the largest drug haul in Maltese history.
4. October 2018
Five kilos of cannabis and two kilos of heroin were found hidden in a passenger’s luggage at Malta International Airport. The passenger was arriving from Portugal and the luggage was intercepted by the Canine Unit.
5. November
44 kilos of pure cocaine were found in a container reefer arriving from Ecuador.
6. November
10 kilos of cannabis were found hidden in a car arriving from Sicily. They were intercepted by the Canine Unit at the Grand Harbour.
7. December
The second largest drug haul in Malta’s history. A container deriving from the port of Algeciras, in Spain, was found to be carrying 5.02 tonnes (5,020 kilos) of cannabis resin, with a street value of approximately €450,000.
The Customs Department has registered year-on-year drug haul records, with 2018 edging 2017 as the year when most drugs were seized.