The Arctic Sea, the cargo ship at the heart of an international piracy mystery, arrives in Malta this afternoon, its owner told Russia's RIA-Novosti state news agency.

"The Arctic Sea might be there as soon as tomorrow (today), in the afternoon," the agency quoted Viktor Matveyev, the vessel's Finnish owner, as saying.

Mr Matveyev said Malta's maritime officials intended to examine the ship before deciding whether to allow it to enter the port of Valletta or not. He told AFP he planned to travel to Malta tomorrow.

The Malta Maritime Authority did not comment when asked to confirm the information.

Russian officials had initially said the ship would be taken to the Russian port of Novorossiisk, then to the Spanish port of Las Palmas, but it remained at sea amid disagreements among the various governments involved and its owners.

The Maltese-flagged cargo ship was at the centre of a mysterious hijacking case in summer. It disappeared in the Atlantic on July 24 while purportedly carrying a cargo of timber worth $2.1 million from Finland to Algeria and was recovered off West Africa on August 17, when eight alleged hijackers were arrested.

The disappearance, which triggered a major international search effort, raised suspicions about a "secret cargo" of drugs or weapons. Russian authorities have denied the rumours, saying the vessel was hijacked by criminals who demanded a ransom.

Eleven of the 15 Russian crewmen have since been sent home. The captain and three crew members are still on board, along with Russian investigators.