Asia-Pacific

Malaysian police take custody of 7 Somali pirates

(Agencies)
Updated: 2011-01-31 13:41

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysian police have taken custody of seven Somali pirates captured in the Gulf of Aden and brought to this Southeast Asian country for hijacking a Malaysian-operated chemical tanker.

The Somalis arrived under tight security at Malaysia's western harbor Monday aboard the MT Bunga Laurel, which they attacked earlier this month. Malaysian naval commandos stormed the ship and rescued 23 Filipino crew members less than two hours after the pirates boarded it.

A federal police official says authorities plan to interrogate the pirates and conduct a "thorough investigation" before determining what charges they could face. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to make public statements.