VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Police are investigating the discovery of 14 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated street value of €1.4 million, aboard a cargo vessel that arrived at Malta Freeport.
The drugs were discovered on the MSC Firenze, a Liberian-registered ship travelling from Panama to Italy, which had been scheduled to stop in Malta.
According to the Malta Police Force, the ship’s captain alerted local authorities late on Friday night after crew members found a suspicious black bag during a routine cleaning operation on 21 October.
The bag, wrapped in netting, had been concealed inside a compartment in the vessel’s engine area.
Suspecting the contents were illegal, the crew secured the bag and handed it over to Maltese police officers when the ship arrived at Malta Freeport.
Upon inspection, officers discovered 14 packages of cocaine, each weighing approximately one kilogram.
Investigations established that the MSC Firenze had departed Panama on 17 October and was heading towards the Italian port of Gioia Tauro.
Magistrate Philip Galea Farrugia has been informed of the discovery and is leading a magisterial inquiry into the case.
Police investigations are ongoing.
– Photo Malta Police –
(ITALPRESS).
