Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1547567
4 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 13 NOVEMBER 2026 NEWS Three arrested over drug trafficking, possession in Gozo Three individuals from Gozo have been arrested and are currently facing charges related to trafficking and possession of heroin and cocaine TWO men aged 75 and 41, and a 57-year-old woman were arrest- ed after intensive investigations into alleged drug trafficking was conducted in Gozo. They are presently facing charges related to trafficking and possessing heroin and co- caine. During surveillance conduct- ed on Tuesday, the police ob- served the 41-year-old man leaving a block of apartments on Triq taċ-Ċawla in Victoria. He was subsequently stopped and arrested, after a search re- vealed he was in possession of two packets containing sub- stances suspected to be heroin and cocaine, the police said. Acting on information that drugs were allegedly being sold from one of the apartments, the police entered the unit, where they arrested the other man and the woman. During searches of the prem- ises and the woman's vehicle, the police discovered several packets containing substanc- es suspected to be heroin and cocaine, and around €80,000 in cash. Magistrate Jean Paul Grech LL.D. was informed of the case and has ordered an inquiry, supported by a team of ap- pointed experts. The three individuals are be- ing held in custody and are ex- pected to be arraigned in the Gozo Court, at around 2:00pm on Wednesday, before Grech. During the search, police found several packets of suspected heroin and cocaine substances, as well as €80,000 in cash (Photos: Communications Office, Malta Police Force) Seismic signals recorded after Crystal Lagoon cave collapse THE rockfall that caused the collapse of a cave at Comi- no's Crystal Lagoon on Sunday morning was detected by the University of Malta's seismic monitoring network, with re- searchers identifying signals consistent with the location of the incident. The Seismic Monitoring Re- search Group within the univer- sity's Department of Geoscienc- es recorded seismic activity associated with the rockfall on 8 November, at 9:13am local time. The cave collapsed at around 9am, with a substantial amount of rock breaking away and fall- ing into the lagoon, completely blocking its entrance. The site is one of Comino's main natu- ral attractions and is frequently visited by tourists, swimmers and boat operators. According to the research group, analysis of recordings from the Malta Seismic Net- work identified a seismic signal at 9:13:48am. The signal was picked up by monitoring sta- tions in Comino, Qala, Xlendi and Mellieħa. The distribution of the record- ings, together with preliminary estimates of the signal's dis- tance and direction, pointed to an origin west of Comino, con- sistent with the reported loca- tion of the collapse. The event was also record- ed by additional seismic sta- tions recently installed through the university's Seismology in Schools programme. These compact instruments, which can be deployed rela- tively easily, extend monitoring capabilities beyond the per- manent stations forming part of the Malta Seismic Network. Their recordings provided ad- ditional coverage and helped researchers better establish the location of the event. The research group said the incident demonstrated how seismic monitoring can help identify and study geological hazards other than earthquakes. Seismic recordings can pro- vide valuable information about rockfalls, slope failures and oth- er ground movements, com- plementing conventional geo- logical assessments and visual monitoring. Head of the Department of Geosciences Professor Sebas- tiano D'Amico said the fact that nobody was injured was par- ticularly fortunate, given the popularity of the area. "We are particularly relieved and fortunate that nobody was injured in this incident," D'Am- ico said. He said that the collapse hap- pened on a Sunday, on "a pleas- ant day when many people were likely to visit Comino and enjoy its natural surroundings… Giv- en the popularity of the Crystal Lagoon and its coastline among visitors, swimmers and boat op- erators, the absence of casual- ties is especially welcome." The Seismic Monitoring Re- search Group said it would con- tinue developing and expanding its monitoring capabilities by combining the Malta Seismic Network with educational and community-based seismic in- stallations. The event was also recorded by additional seismic stations recently installed through the university's Seismology in Schools programme