610kg of cocaine found in shipment of bananas at Freeport

Oct 31 2022

Yesterday, during an operation, Customs officials stationed at the Freeport Terminal, seized 610 packets of Cocaine weighing 1 kilogram each, and which were concealed within a shipment of Bananas.

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The container was selected by the Customs Monitoring Unit following a meticulous risk assessment on containers transiting through the Malta Freeport. The unit was scanned along with a number of other containers, and Customs officials at the Scanning Facility flagged discrepancies in the image of that particular unit.

The container, which was transporting bananas, departed from Guayaquil in Ecuador and was en-route to Batumi in Georgia. The Customs Officials, together with members from the Malta Police Drug Squad who were later called on scene, opened the reefer and physically inspecting all boxes. 20 Boxes of Bananas were found to contain 20 packets of Cocaine each whilst another 10 Boxes contained 21 packets each.

Once the drugs were elevated, the case was handed over to the Malta Police Drug Force for further investigation – duty Magistrate Monica Vella is leading the inquiry.

In the past 3 years, Malta Customs seized the following amounts of Cocaine:

2019: recording a total of 750kg (in 13 separate seizures);
2020: 612kg (in 1 seizure);
2021:740kg (in 1 seizure) and;
2022: 800kg and a record breaking 1494kg;
and today’s seizure of 610kg

#MaltaDaily

Source: Customs Malta Communications

Abandoned land transformed into first ever pocket garden

Oct 31 2022

An abandoned land spread over 190 square meters in San Gwann was transformed into the island’s first pocket garden through an investment by Parks Malta.

The garden, which has been named ‘Ġnien il-Hibiscus’, will serve as an example for the future gardens set to be renovated across the islands.

Minister for the Environment Miriam Dalli inaugurated the garden alongside Parks Malta’s Director General Adrian Attard and San Ġwann’s mayor Trevor Fenech.

The Minister said that as the government announces various open spaces, this new pocket garden will serve as a blueprint for the future gardens which are based on the needs and wishes of the local councils and communities.

Ġnien il-Hibiscus is embellished with benches, trees and various aromatic spices which give the space a fresh environment for all to enjoy. The flora chosen for the garden were specifically picked to complement the Maltese climate and provide easy keeping for the future maintenance of the garden.

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Laptops for new secondary school students and new childcare centre

Oct 31 2022

Addressing a press conference, Education and Sport Minister Clifton Grima announced an investment worth up to €50 million in laptops for all new secondary school students.

The Minister also inaugurated a childcare centre in Qawra, which will be welcoming 100 children on the premises.

The Happy Trails Childcare in Qawra will also be employing 20 new workers who will exercise their professional care skills with the kids attending the day care centre.

On his part, the minister said that the facility has all the required amenities and equipment, as well as the staff, to professionally welcome the kids of various local families.

#MaltaDaily

Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia went for a bike ride with cyclists yesterday…

Oct 31 2022

Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia went for a bike ride with cyclists yesterday…

The lanes were so bad that he had to use the pavements…

And then announced a €35 million investment in a bicycle network.

The bike ride was part of a challenge posed by Bulletproof who invited Aaron Farrugia to join them and thus see the state of the bike lanes around Malta.

In association with Rota, this great initiative led to a ‘bicycle network being planned for and not through a piecemeal approach alongside car-centric projects.’

Some did critique the idea of having to have the transport minister out in the road to actually witness the state of the lanes. However, this initiative did reap some good fruit given the Minister’s furthered incentive to improve the quality of the lanes.

Bulletproof thanked Farrugia for taking up the challenge who, on his part, also revealed a national strategy for modern cycling along with the €35 million investment.

#MaltaDaily