Two men heading to Malta were arrested in Pozzallo yesterday after being found in possession of fake Libyan passports and Maltese resi­dency permits, according to Italian press reports.

The two Libyan men, who were riding in a luxurious Chevrolet, had been tailed by the Ragusa police after arousing suspicion, according to the newspaper Nuovo Sud.

They stopped on their way to the Pozzallo port with tickets to board the ferry. The police inspected the documents provided and also discovered Libyan number plates in the boot.

One of the men had already been arrested for the same crime two years ago in Catania, according to the news portal.

The identity of the Libyans has not been revealed.

The incident comes days after a number of Syrians were intercepted in Italy trying to fly to Malta with false documents. Two have already been charged in court.

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