March 19 (UPI) -- Italian authorities detained a Spanish ship for allegedly promoting undocumented immigration after it picked up 218 migrants stranded off the coast of Libya and refused to hand them over to the Libyan coast guard.
Catania officials seized the ship operated by Spanish non-governmental organization ProActiva Open Arms and placed three people, including the ship's captain, the on-board coordinator and ProActiva Open Arms' chief, under investigation.