By John Lee.
A small plane crashed after take-off from Malta's airport on Monday morning, killing all five people on board.
Government officials in France and Malta have confirmed that the victims — three French defense ministry officials and two private contractors — were part of a French Customs surveillance operation tracing routes of illicit trafficking, both of humans and drugs, leaving Libya.
The twin-prop Fairchild Metroliner plane was registered in the U.S. and leased to Luxembourg-based CAE Aviation, which supplied the two contractors who were killed.
(Source: AP)