Foreigners found drifting off Zonqor Point

Today, 18^th August 1999, at about 0600 hrs, a local fishing vessel alerted the Operations Centre of the Armed Forces of Malta and reported that it was abeam a 30-foot blue coloured boat some 5 miles off Zonqor Point with six foreigners on board.

A Patrol Craft from Maritime Squadron was dispatched to the spot. The persons found on board claimed to be from Libya and Egypt and that they had been at sea for ten days, having departed from Benghazi. The boat had run out of fuel and the persons on board, although seemingly in good health, had no food left.

The boat was towed to Valletta Harbour by the AFM Patrol Craft and, together with the six persons found on board, handed over to the Immigration Police for further investigation.