Maltese customs seize $1.1 billion worth of goods headed to Libya

Over the period of three years, Maltese customs has seized a enormous amount of goods violating UN sanctions

Maltese Customs chief says that they must remain vigilant. [Photo: Dwana]
Maltese authorities have revealed that over the course of three years, their customs department has seized €927,294,000 (What equates to over a 1 billion dollars) worth of goods on their way to Libya in breach of UN sanctions.

The ships seized include containers carrying stolen powerboats suspected of facilitating illegal migration, as well as over twenty containers worth of fireworks estimated at €1,064,000.

Another massive bust by the Maltese department was two containers carrying €926 million in paper currency from Russia  headed to the area of Libya controlled by Khalifa Haftar’s forces.

The customs departments also intercepted unauthorized medication, controlled substances and stolen vehicles.

Earlier this week, the largest drug haul was made by Maltese authorities of over 612KG of cocaine from Ecuador headed to Libya, the street value of which is estimated at 69 million euros.

After the historic drug bust, customs chief Joseph Chetcuti said it highlights the need for enforcement agencies to continuously remain vigilant, stating that while Malta is small, they are in the same situation as the rest of the world with illegal smuggling of goods and illicit substances.

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