Four men arrested in connection with bomb placed under car in Fgura

Four men were arrested yesterday morning in connection with a bomb placed beneath a car in Fgura on 4 January. The bomb had failed to detonate.

Wednesday’s operation took place after weeks of investigation which led the police to the four men. AFM members were asked for assistance after a person informed the police that a strange noise could be heard and a spark was seen coming from a parked car. Investigators had initially tried to dismantle the undetonated car bomb in order to find the SIM card used, which proved crucial to finding the perpetrators who had placed the bomb under a Mitsubishi Pajero that was parked in a residential area on St Anthony’s Street and that could have injured members of the public.

The car belonged to Mario Scicluna, from Sannat, Gozo, who resides in the area. Three of the four men arrested are from Birżebbuġa, while one is from Xgħajra.

Sources said that Scicluna was known to the police in crime circles, but was not one of the ten that had been arrested in connection with the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Had the bomb detonated, it would have been the seventh of its kind since the start of 2016.

The Minster for Home Affairs and National Security congratulated the Malta Police, Security Service and Armed Forces of Malta for the arrests on Twitter.

“Well done and thank you in the name of the people of Malta and Gozo to the Malta Police, Security Service and the Armed Forces of Malta for a job well done today after weeks of investigations.”

The operation is still ongoing in other parts of Malta. Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera is heading the inquiry.