Police arrest suspected bomb suppliers in Daphne Caruana Galizia murder

Updated at 6:45pm with more details on the arrests

Three men suspected of having supplied the bomb that assassinated Daphne Caruana Galizia were arrested in a police operation on Tuesday, MaltaToday has learnt.

Brothers Adrian and Robert Agius, known as Tal-Maksar, and associate Jamie Vella were arrested as murder suspect Vince Muscat pleaded guilty in court to Caruana Galizia’s murder.

The Agius brothers and Vella had been among 10 people arrested in December 2017 during police raids. The three were released and never charged but George Degiorgio, brother Alfred Degiorgio and Muscat were arraigned over the murder.

READ ALSO: Malta’s mystery: gangland wars and no justice

In a dramatic twist to events, Muscat today pleaded guilty and is understood to have reached some form of agreement with the prosecution to supply information in exchange for a lighter sentence.

Last October, the MaltaToday reported that Muscat, known as il-Koħħu, had identified two suspected gang members to the police.

Robert Agius and Jamie Vella, were reportedly identified as the people who supplied the triggermen with the explosive device.

A Mercedes M Class confiscated by the police and taken to the depot for further investigation

The Agius brothers and Vella are believed to have been arrested in three different locations with reports suggesting that one of them was taken to the police depot in an ambulance.

Throughout the afternoon, two vehicles confiscated by the police - a Mercedes M Class and Seat Leon - were seen being transported into the yard at the depot. Police searches on the property of the arrested men are ongoing.

Read this explainer | The Carmel Chircop murder and the Maksar brothers arrest