A Maltese registered trawler, Nanna Grez, which was allegedly fishing illegally within three nautical miles from the coast off Madonna Point in Mellieha, was intercepted by the army at about 1.30 a.m. on Wednesday, the army said yesterday.
The crew consisted of four Italians.
The army's offshore patrol vessel P61 was involved in this operation. An inspection team from the P61 boarded the trawler and found a large trawl net full of fresh fish and a considerable amount of sorted fish packed in boxes in the vessel's hold.
The trawler was escorted by P61 and by a Swift class patrol boat P23 to the Old Customs House in Valletta, where the trawler and catch were confiscated by Fisheries Protection Officers.
The police are investigating.