Two men were arrested by the police in connection with the illegal transport of 25 immigrants to Sicily on Monday night.

A police report said one of the two men was arrested in Cirkewwa at 2.30am, while the second was arrested later in Xemxija.

Italian media reports yesterday said that the Italian coastguard had intercepted two speedboats with 25 illegal immigrants on board on Monday night. The reports said the two speedboats had left Malta and were intercepted off the coast of Agrigento, close to Marina di Palma.

The immigrants managed to get ashore before one of the speedboats had to be abandoned after it developed engine trouble.

The other speedboat was pursued by the Italian authorities but managed to escape and reach Maltese territorial waters, the Italian media reports said.

The Maltese police were at this point informed that a speedboat had been seen approaching Cirkewwa. The police conducted searches in the area and a man was arrested.

Further investigations led the police to arrest a second man who some time later was seen manoeuvring a big boat at Xemxija.

Meanwhile, the immigrants, from North Africa, and the abandoned speedboat were taken to Porto Empedocle.