Seventeen persons are set to be deported after they were caught in Malta without the necessary documentation, the police said Saturday.

They were caught after inspections carried out by the police in St Paul’s Bay, Bugibba and Qawra.

The persons are from Ghana, Nigeria, Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Libya and Ivory Coast. They were taken to a detention centre, the police said.

The police said it will carry out more inspections in the next few days and weeks.