A man who tried to smuggle protected birds and was arrested after a chase at sea and on land 10 years ago has been jailed for two and a half years.

Publius Zammit, of Msida, was arrested along with another man by soldiers of the Armed Forces of Malta.

The court heard how the police and the AFM were tipped off about the smuggling operation.

Xatt l-Ahmar, where the protected birds were found packed in cages.

They observed the power boat Little Child at Xatt l-Ahmar on the night of March 13-14, 2004.

When a patrol boat approached the power boat with blue lights and a search-light on, the power boat sped off at high speed and outpaced the army vessel.

An army patrol boat, however, tracked it on radar to Gnejna and followed it.

The two men were once more ordered to stop, but instead they disembarked and ran off. The soldiers gave chase and up to 10 shots were fired after they repeatedly refused to obey.

The two were eventually arrested, with one of them needing to be hospitalised after having been hit.

The soldiers later boarded the Little Child and found feathers compatible with the birds found on the beach.

At Xatt l-Ahmar the authorities found 180 boxes, cages and crates packed with 426 greenfinches, 72 ninnets, two long-headed buzzards, and 168 tortoises. They were brought from Tunisia.

The court discounted the version of the accused - that he had sped away from the army boat because he did not recognise it as belonging to the army and that he had found a sack of birdseed and related items at sea.

Mr Zammit was jailed for two and a half years after the court also noted his police record. The power boat was confiscated.