Updated | Daphne Caruana Galizia murder masterminds identified – reports

The Maltese criminal investigators have identified a “group of more than two Maltese nationals” suspected of being the masterminds behind the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, the Times has reported.

The newspaper said high-ranking officers said the investigation into who commissioned the car bomb was at a “very advanced stage”, with the main suspects now having been identified.

No indication of how much longer the investigation could take.

According to The Times, the investigators say they are in constant contact with Europol – the EU’s law enforcement agency – over the case, but in recent weeks this contact has intensified significantly as police get closer to cracking the case. “We have a large amount of data that requires analysing and partners like Europol have the necessary experience and expertise to help facilitate this process,” one source was reported as saying.

An analysis of financial transactions had found a paper trail of evidence but the newspaper said this was not yet “concrete”.

aruana Galizia was assassinated by a car bomb explosion in October 2017 just a few metres from her Bidnija home. 

The murder sent shockwaves through international community who have united in a call for justice and an end to impunity for the killing. 

Brothers Alfred and George Degiorgiom and Vincent Muscat have been in custody for 11 months, since their arrest on December 4 in Marsa. A few days later they were accused of carrying out the car bomb murder and pleaded not guilty.

The court proceedings against the three has so far detailed how the police, working with agents from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, used cell phone and telecommunications tower data to discover how the bomb had been detonated and by whom. 

It has also heard how the three men enjoyed lavish lifestyles despite being unemployed, owning luxury cars, sending their children to private schools and gambling large sums of money at Malta’s casinos. 

The Sunday Times of Malta report that they've reached out to the family who have revealed that they have not been "formally informed" of the identification of these suspects.

Daphne Caruana Galizia's sister Corinne Vella told the Times of Malta that the police had not reached out to the family to let them know of these new developments.