Cap. 226 Art. 4Contiguous Zone.

(1) Without prejudice to the provisions of article 3(2), in the zone of the open sea contiguous to the territorial waters of

Malta as defined in article 3(1) (such zone being in this Act referred to as "the contiguous zone") the State shall have such jurisdictions and powers as are recognised in respect of such zone by international law and in particular may exercise therein the control necessary -

(a) to prevent any contravention of any law relating to customs, fiscal matters, immigration and sanitation, including pollution, and

(b) to punish offences against any such law committed within Malta or in the territorial waters of Malta as defined by article 3(1) or (2), as the case may require.

(2) The contiguous zone shall extend to twenty-four nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial waters is measured.