Police intercept British mercenaries en route to Libya

The private military contractors were arrested before boarding a private flight to Libya • The group were later released from arrest without charge, but were not allowed to go through Maltese airspace in transit to the war-torn North African country

File photo
File photo

A group of private military contractors travelling to Libya were intercepted by the police last Saturday, MaltaToday has confirmed.

The men, understood to be ex-British army soldiers, were arrested boarding a private flight to the North African country, which has been ravaged by civil war in recent years.

Sources told this newspaper that the police had acted on a tip-off about the group, whom they intercepted before they boarded their flight.

The group were later released from arrest, and no charges were filed against them. The group is understood to have already left Malta.

The mercenaries were, however, forbidden from using Maltese airspace to travel to Libya.