Kochi, Feb 19: Two crew members of an Italian tanker allegedly involved in shooting dead two Indian fishermen were brought off the vessel by Kerala Police Sunday but it was not immediately clear if the duo had been arrested.

At 4.15 p.m. a team of Italian officials and senior Kerala Police officers brought the two security personnel off the ship and whisked them off in a heavily-guarded convoy to the guest house of the Central Industrial Security Force near here.

Speaking to reporters, Inspector General of Police K. Padmakumar did not make it clear if the two Italians were arrested.

"The case has been registered by the Kollam police and now it is their job to take forward the case and they will do the needful after further questioning. The two Italians are Lestorae and Selvasurae. I cannot say anything further now," he added.

He said that detailed statements were taken by the investigating officials from the captain of the ship and other crew members.

"Since the case has been registered by the Kollam police, it would be a court in Kollam district which would look into this case," said Padmakumar.

Kerala Police had Sunday begun recording the statements of the crew of the Italian tanker "Enrica Lexie", currently berthed here as part of the investigation into the killing of two Indian fishermen.

A police team, also comprising ballistic and forensic experts, boarded the ship Sunday morning for investigations.

Officials from the Italian Embassy were also aboard the ship and were in constant touch with authorities in Delhi.

Two fishermen, Ajesh Binki, 25, from Tamil Nadu and Gelastine, 45, from Kerala, were mistaken as pirates and shot dead by the crew of the Italian cargo vessel on Wednesday evening, about 14 nautical miles off Alappuzha.

The owners of the ship had late Saturday agreed to cooperate with the inquiry.