Wanted German drug trafficker arrested in Malta

A man who went on the run after being convicted in Germany of a number of crimes including drug trafficking and fraud has been arrested in Malta whilst reporting a stolen item to the police.

Erwin Aloysius Funk, 41, from Trier in Germany was detained after police discovered that he was the subject of an alert was issued through the Schengen Information System.

A resident of Santa Venera,  Funk is wanted by the authorities of Trier and Mainz in Germany to serve a prison sentence for drug trafficking, fraud, driving without a licence and misuse of emergency phone lines.

Police Inspector Dr. Mario Cuschieri testified how Funk was arrested at the airport yesterday while he was filing a police report about a stolen pouch which contained money belonging to his company. An alert police officer had checked the man’s name against the Schengen Information System computer system and found that he was a a wanted man. Funk was then arrested.

Lawyer Clint Tabone informed magistrate Joseph Mifsud that the man was contesting the arrest warrant. The case continues on Monday. Funk  is to remain in custody until then.