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A violent fight that broke out onboard a fishing boat some 30 miles out at sea has landed five men in court, with one of them nursing a finger allegedly badly severed in the struggle.
Jonathan Caruana and his brother Adrian, two Marsaxlokk fishermen and owners of the vessel, were arrested and arraigned over the fight that broke out on Tuesday with three Egyptian nationals who were also prosecuted over their alleged involvement in the incident.
The two Maltese fishermen, aged 33 and 47, pleaded not guilty to attacking the other three, threatening and insulting them, possessing a knife without the necessary police licence as well as unlicensed possession of a Benelli-type firearm.
An Egyptian man who was among eight migrants who landed in Malta last February has been taken to court and accused of human trafficking.
The migrants landed near Wied iz-Zurrieq on February 19 and were arrested by the police as they walked towards Għar Lapsi.
The group consisted of five Syrians and three Egyptians, including the accused, Ali Ali Mohamed Shakshuk, a 34-year-old who lives at the Safi Detention Centre.
The speedboat allegedly used by the migrants was found days later.
Police believed that the migrants were dropped off at sea by a boat which left the area, the court heard on Monday.
Man charged with human smuggling
Police charge a 34-year-old Egyptian national who is believed to have organised a clandestine trip to ferry migrants from Libya to Malta
26 April 2021, 3:54pm
by Kurt Sansone
The group of eight men was stopped by police as they walked from Żurrieq to Għar Lapsi last February. The speedboat they travelled on was found some days later abandoned in the area (Photos: Police)
An Egyptian national has been charged with human smuggling after using a speedboat to ferry a group immigrants to Malta from Libya.
The 34-year-old man, Ali Ali Mohammed Shakshuk, had been arrested along with seven Libyan nationals who were spotted in the area between Wied iż-Żurrieq and Għar Lapsi last February.