A boat belonging to 17 Black owner Yorgen Fenech was intercepted at sea by the Armed Forces of Malta and returned to Malta early on Wednesday morning, police confirmed to The Malta Independent.

The yacht was seized off the coast of Pembroke soon after it had left Portomaso at 5.30am.  Fenech was arrested and is in police custody, sources said.

Data from vessel tracking website Vessel Finder showed that the boat was back at shore within an hour of its departure.

The boat is now berthed at Portomaso, under strict police surveillence.

Access to the harbour was temporarily blocked, and when it reopened police were still present in the vicinity of the vessel.

A report by the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit had identified Electrogas power station director and Tumas Group CEO Yorgen Fenech as the owner 17 Black. 

The Dubai-based company was identified in a leaked e-mail as one of two sources of income for the Panama companies Hearnville and Tillgate, which were set up by Nexia BT for Minister Konrad Mizzi and the Prime Minister's chief of staff Keith Schembri.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said he signed a letter that assures a presidential pardon to a man who claims to have information with regard to the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia in October 2017.

Above: The yacht Gio in Portomaso this morning (Photo Michael Camilleri) and (below) Tracking data of the vessel showed how it returned to harbour a short while after leaving. Photo: Vesselfinder.com