Over 9kg of cocaine discovered during airport luggage screening

Customs officials discovered over 9.85 kilograms of cocaine during a routine operation at Malta International Airport.

Officials were screening luggages of passengers arriving from Madrid when they noticed suspicious content in a carry-on bag belonging to one of the passengers.

After the bag passed through the x-ray machine, further searchers of the luggage led officials to discover a false bottom and an elevation of over 9.85 kilograms of a white substance.

The luggage was flagged for suspicious content while passing through the x-ray machine

Preliminary narcotics testing indicated that the substance found was cocaine.

The passenger, a woman of Spanish nationality, was placed under arrest by the Police Drug Squad, along with an accompanying passenger who was also found with small amounts of cannabis and ecstasy.

The passengers are expected to be arraigned in Court over the coming hours.