Escaped immigrant caught

An illegal immigrant who escaped from the airport on Thursday - as he was about to be deported - was apprehended yesterday afternoon in Bugibba, the police said.

Police sources said the Libyan national had been arrested for overstaying and a removal order issued against him.

The sources said deported Arab nationals have been known to turn up in Malta again a few weeks later.

"They often change the way their names are spelt; someone called Mohammed might spell it Mohamed or Ahmed and return to Malta with a fresh passport. As the name is not detected by the computer, he is allowed in," the sources said.