Each passenger paid $4,000

The incident on Monday forced the Italian government to announce a state of emergency to deal with the influx of immigrants landing on its shores.

The state of emergency allowed extra funds to be released to deal with the crisis.

The Italian police are now trying to establish the identity of the other crew members.

If convicted of transporting the illegal immigrants they each face up to 12 years in prison.

Persecution fear

The vessel - with 928 mainly Iraqi Kurds passengers on board, including 361 children - was taken to Catania after being intercepted by the Italian coast guard.

Most of the immigrants are expected to apply for political asylum, claiming that they will face persecution if they return to Iraq.

They are reported to have paid $4,000 for each adult immigrant and $2,000 for each child.

The cargo ship's registration has been traced back to the Tonga islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Italy, with a 7,600km coastline, is a popular target for asylum seekers, many of whom use it as a gateway to Europe.

Expulsions of asylum seekers from Italy have increased by about 30% since Mr Berlusconi's conservative coalition came to power in June last year promising to take a tough line on refugees.