Bunker tanker El Hiblu 1 has been hijacked by a group of migrants off Libya and is headed for Malta, local newspaper MaltaToday reports.
has been hijacked by a group of migrants off Libya and is headed for Malta, local newspaper MaltaToday reports.The 2010-built tanker reportedly rescued a group of over 100 migrants, who have now taken control of the ship. An Armed Forces spokesperson told MaltaToday that attempts to contact the ship’s captain have been unsuccessful and confirmed that the vessel was headed for Malta.
Authorities said vessel would not be allowed to enter Maltese waters, while the latest AIS data from MarineTraffic.com shows the vessel has made significant progress towards Malta. The vessel has come to a halt however, although it is yet unknown whether naval forces have become involved.
According to Equasis, the vessel is owned by Salah Ali M Elhiblu in Palau.
