Libyan admits trying to smuggle shotgun rounds from Malta

Valletta, 6 September:

A Libyan businessman, Khalil Sadegh Harrus, was given a two-year suspended jail sentence on Wednesday and fined €8,600 after . . .[restrict]he admitted to the court that he had tried to smuggle shotgun cartridges to Libya in breach of the UN arms embargo against Libya.

Harrus, 37, had been charged with trying to send 450 boxes of shotgun cartridges to Libya last August.  They were discovered by customs police and members of the armed forces following a tip-off.  They found were hidden beneath toiletries and soft drinks in a container.

Harrus was also charged with making false declarations.

The judge ordered the seizure of the entire consignment including not only the cartridges worth €38,000, but also energy drinks worth €45,500 and €800-worth of toiletries.

According to the Maltese police, a number of other people are being investigated in the case and will be charged shortly. [/restrict]