Meetings are being held between senior security personnel in Malta and Libya to verify allegations of fuel smuggling from Libya to Malta and take all decisions necessary to curb such activities, the Foreign Ministry said.

It said the latest developments would also be discussed between Minister George Vella and his Libyan counterpart later today.

The ministry was reacting to a Reuters report that large amounts of fuel were being smuggled from Libya to Malta - even as angry motorists queued in Tripoli and the state oil firm struggled to deliver due to a lack of security at petrol stations

"This phenomena is a threat to Libya and affects national security," the government said in a statement after Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni met Malta's ambassador.

Libya has suffered from smuggling of fuel into neighbours but this has mostly been via land borders.

The increase comes at a time when oil output has fallen to less than 300,000 barrels a day due to wave of protests at oilfields and ports over financial and political demands, down from 1.4 million bpd when the strike action started.

Libya has some of the world's cheapest petrol prices as the government heavily subsides it to ease social pressures.

Malta’s Foreign Ministry said the minister informed the Libyan Charges d’Affaires that later today the minister would be contacting his Libyan counterpart to discuss the latest developments.

It said it informed Maltese security services of the allegations as soon as they were brought to its attention by Malta’s ambassador in Libya.

Malta was committed against all forms of criminality, contraband and trafficking of illegal substances and action would be taken against people found responsible.

The minister asked the Charges d’Affaires to inform his government that Malta was always willing to fight such criminality and requested the Libyan government to keep the Maltese government abreast of any developments for immediate action to be taken, even in collaboration with the Libyan forces of law and order.