During the early hours of yesterday, at about 1.30am, the AFM’s Maritime Squadron Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) P61 intercepted a Maltese-registered fishing trawler Nanna Grez trawling illegally within three nautical miles from the coastline off Madonna Point, Mellieha.

An inspection team was immediately dispatched from P61 which boarded the local-registered trawler to investigate.

The inspection team found a large trawl net full of fresh fish, as well as a considerable amount of sorted fish packed in boxes inside the vessel’s hold.

The trawler was then escorted by OPV P61 and Swift class patrol boat P23 to the Old Customs House in Valletta, where the trawler and catch were confiscated by local Fisheries Protection Officers.

The trawler was crewed by four Italian nationals, and the case was handed over to the Malta Police authorities for further investigations.