Army catches hunters at sea

The army's maritime squadron caught four men allegedly hunting illegally at sea yesterday morning.

The men, from Gharghur and Hamrun, were intercepted by the squadron's rapid deployment team out on patrol on the go-fast boat P-01, the army said.

They were on a 16-foot speedboat powered by a 225 HP-outboard engine about one and a half miles off Ta' Fra Ben Point, limits of Qawra, at about 8.30 a.m., it said.

The army reported that a search on board the speedboat yielded birds and hunting paraphernalia of a varied nature.

Sources said illegal bird callers and heavy gauge lead shot were found.

The individuals and the evidence were handed over to the police.

The sources said another three persons were apprehended by the police hunting illegally yesterday afternoon.

Some of the birds found on board the hunters' speedboat. Photo: AFM