Tear gas pistol, ammunition found in luggage at airport

A tear gas pistol and ammunition were found in a suitcase that was being loaded into the cargo hold of a flight to Tel Aviv at Malta International Airport last night. The police said the incident happened at around 11.20pm. The objects were found by airport security officers during a routine inspection of the baggage being loaded onto Air Malta Flight KM 7828. The police were called and a search was performed in the presence of the luggage’s owner, a 40-year-old Israeli. The search yielded a tear gas pistol and a magazine holding 11 rounds in an unlocked pocket on the outside of the luggage. A steak knife was also found in a locked compartment. The passenger, who seemed surprised by the find, denied any knowledge of the pistol and ammunition. However, he admitted that the steak knife belonged to his sister, a passenger on the same flight. He said he had left his case in a luggage room belonging to a hotel in St Julian’s at about noon and picked it up at 9.30 pm. He suspected the objects were planted there. The passenger was taken to the police headquarters for further investigations while the flight’s passengers and luggage were re-screened. Further investigations together with...