Human trafficker charged over the coordination of boat arrivals from Malta

Police have charged a man with human trafficking in an 8pm arraignment, as part of an ongoing investigation sparked by the arrival of a boatload of undocumented migrants from Libya in Delimara Bay.

A 50-year-old, a foreign national based in Malta was arraigned under arrest before duty magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit on Monday night.

The arraignment comes after an investigation into who could have coordinated the operation human trafficking operation which culminated in the migrants’ making landfall in Malta during the night between 13 and 14 September. 

In a statement issued this evening, the police said that investigations were ongoing and did not rule out further arrests.

He is understood to have confessed to his guilt during interrogation and was expected to admit the charges. At the request of the prosecution, the court ordered that the details of the case not be made public, with the rest of the case being heard behind closed.

Inspector Karl Roberts is prosecuting. Lawyers Arthur Azzopardi and Jacob Magri are defence counsel.