TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Libya's coastguard has detained more than 400 immigrants, mostly from the Horn of Africa, in its waters in the past two days after they tried to illegally cross to Europe in small boats, Libyan officials say.
The coastguard picked up five boatloads of people. Warning shots were fired at several vessels, and 78 people were rescued from a sinking ship, Qassem Ayoub, a Libyan navy spokesman, said.
The deputy commander of naval operations, Mohammed al-Baty, said on Thursday his office received information on Tuesday that a boatload of people would attempt to journey to Italy.
"I received information two days ago indicating that there is a small boat on the sea carrying illegal immigrants wanting to go to Italy," Baty said.
Most of those taken into custody came from Somalia and Eritrea, and a handful were from Ghana and Nigeria. Some are held at a Tripoli police station and are being examined by a United Nations medical team, Baty said.
"They were 46 people from various nationalities," he said.
ANINGTIAS JAYMIKA | AL JAZEERA