A Turkish oil tanker hijacked by migrants has arrived safely in Malta.
The cargo ship Elhiblu 1 picked up 108 migrants who were attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Libya to Europe.
It is believed some of the migrants hijacked the vessel when it became clear that the captain planned to take them back to Libya.
The Maltese Navy intercepted the vessel and prevented it from entering the island nation’s territorial waters. Police eventually boarded the boat and arrested four men. The remaining migrants were boarded onto buses, witnesses say.
Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said on Twitter that the nation’s armed forces had conducted a “sensitive operation on high seas.”
“We do not shirk responsibility despite our size,” he said, pledging to follow international rules.
During the night @Armed_Forces_Malta conducted sensitive operation on high seas, boarding a ship allegedly captured by #migrants off #Libya and diverted to #Malta. We do not shirk responsibility despite our size. We will now follow all international rules accordingly -JM
— Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) March 28, 2019
