Kerala police on Sunday took into custody two armed personnel of an Italian vessel from which gunshots were fired killing two fishermen off Alappuzha on Wednesday.

Latore Massimiliano and Salvatore Girone, who are part of the six-member security detail of the ship Enrica Lexie, were brought to the shore on Sunday evening, nearly eight hours past the deadline set by the police.

The two were brought to the shore from the vessel by senior police officers led by Ernakulam Range IGP K. Padma Kumar, Kochi Police Commissioner, M.R. Ajith Kumar, Kollam SP Sam Christy Daniel and Assistant Commissioner (Special Branch) M.N. Ramesh. Italian Consul General also accompanied them.

They were taken to a CISF guest house at nearby Wellington island for detailed interrogation, police sources said.

IGP Padmakumar told reporters that police examined documents in the ship and recorded the statement of the 20-odd crew and the Captain.

“As the matter was very sensitive, a detailed statement had to be made,” he said adding, at no point of time they (ship crew) created any obstacles and extended their cooperation.

Earlier, an Italian delegation, including officials from their legal and foreign ministries, arrived in New Delhi on Sunday and met Indian officials in connection with the killing of two Kerala fishermen by the guards on board an Italian ship.

The visiting team discussed the case with senior External Affairs Ministry officials during which the Indian side expressed hope that the Italians will cooperate in ensuring that law of the land takes its course.

MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said both the sides had a “fairly comprehensive” discussion.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna made it clear that the captain and crew of the Italian ship will have to surrender and cooperate in the investigation of the case.

Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi had on Saturday called Krishna, who told him that the captain of the Italian oil tanker must cooperate with Indian law enforcers.

Krishna, according to a statement by the External Affairs Ministry, said the loss of lives could have been avoided had the naval personnel onboard “Enrica Lexie” been careful and exercised restraint. He told his Italian counterpart that “our information clearly indicated that the Indian fishermen were not carrying any arms or ammunition on board their vessel. Indian fishing vessels do not carry these on board but only fishing nets and the fish they catch.”

Krishna told the Italian foreign minister of his telephonic conversation with Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who conveyed “the strong public opinion and agitation in Kerala” at the loss of the innocent lives and the need for an urgent resolution of this issue.

The developments came shortly after India did some tough talking on the need for the Italian ship authorities to cooperate with the probe into the killing of the fishermen.

The two fishermen — Ajesh Binki (25) and Jalastein (45) — were killed off Kollam coast near Kerala when armed guards of the ship fired at their boat, suspecting it to be a vessel belonging to pirates.