Maltese authorities seize cocaine shipment bound for Libya

Maltese customs authorities have seized a 113-kilogram cocaine shipment concealed inside a container at the Malta Freeport that was awaiting transshipment to Libya.

The authorities said the drugs were discovered during a customs inspection of a container arriving from Costa Rica. The cocaine was hidden among declared cargo, prompting the launch of an investigation.

The seizure comes after Spanish authorities recently intercepted a vessel flying the Comoros flag at the Port of Las Palmas in Spain. The ship was carrying an estimated 30 to 45 tonnes of cocaine, and 23 people on board were arrested.

In a separate case, Niger’s Anti-Drug Trafficking Unit announced at the end of May the seizure of 278 kilograms of cocaine during a security operation in the eastern city of Zinder, describing it as the largest drug bust in the country’s history.