Boat with 100 illegal immigrants sails close to Malta

The Armed Forces yesterday kept constant surveillance over a boat with suspected illegal immigrants which was reported sailing to the west of Malta.

Late yesterday, the boat was heading northwards 20 nautical miles off Malta, the AFM control room said.

The AFM Rescue Coordination Centre mounted the surveillance operation immediately after they were informed by fishermen on board a Maltese fishing vessel that a boat, which looked like a fishing boat, was sailing outside Maltese territorial waters.

An AFM Alouette helicopter located the boat, with over 100 men believed to be illegal immigrants on board, approximately 16 nautical miles to the south west of Malta, the AFM said.

Patrol boats from the AFM Maritime Squadron were also despatched to the area to monitor movements of the boat and to keep Maltese authorities abreast of the situation.

At one point in the morning, the boat was about nine nautical miles south west of Gozo, the AFM said.

Sources said that Maltese authorities were in contact with the Italian authorities about the location of the boat.