To be kept in barcelona until their deportation

Expulsion orders against three Algerians without documents

Shipwreck. Items of food, drinks and clothing were found on the abandoned boat

The three men may possibly have arrived on the island on Friday night in a small boat which was discovered abandoned on the rocks at Binissafúller

C.M.W..Maó

The three Algerian men arrested in Maó´s Estación Marítima on Saturday were issued with expulsion orders yesterday. Until the order is executed, the men will be kept in an internment centre in Barcelona.

Two of the three arrested were carrying no identity papers and the third had already been served with an expulsion order, which was issued in Logroño in 2002, for having entered Spain illegally.

Although there has been no official confirmation so far, it is possible that the men arrived on the island on Friday night in a small boat which was found abandoned on the rocks in Binissafúller on Saturday morning by a police patrol.

Abandoned boat discovered

The boat was found in an area of the urbanisation known as "Ses Platges den Ferrer", with no sign of the crew. The police carried out a thorough search of the coastline and neighbouring inland area, including some prehistoric caves and abandoned houses, but found no traces of people connected with the shipwreck.

An examination of the boat itself revealed several empty fuel containers, lifejackets, a compass, medicines, blankets, shoes, bottles of water, bread, fruit and vegetables, together with some packaged products. Various items had been carried overboard by waves and were found amongst some rocks a hundred metres to the west of the boat. These included plastic bags, one of which contained onions, and small sachets of instant coffee, the writing on which was in French and Arabic and the distributor of which had an Algerian address.

The Maritime Rescue boat "Antares" was called from Maó port to particpate in the search, but was unable to get close to the abandoned vessel due to the shallowness of the water in the area. Two crew members used an inflatable to approach the boat and an inspection showed a hole in the hull which had let water into the vessel.

A police helicopter also took part in the search which ended with no signs of the boat´s occupants.

Although the State Administration´s Island Director, Javier Tejero, reiterated last night that there was no proof that the Algerians arrested in Maó were in any way connected with the incident in Binissafúller, the hypothesis which appears to be gaining credence is that the three arrived on Menorcan shores in the small boat after a 36-hour journey from Algeria.