Malaysia Holds Suspected Pirates in Custody Following Raid

Seven Somali men accused of piracy arrived in Malaysia Monday where they could face trial for hijacking a Malaysian operated chemical tanker in the Gulf of Aden.

Malaysian legal experts are working to determine whether or not the seven can be charged in Malaysia. The Malaysian government has issued a remand to hold the pirates for two weeks, during which time the suspects will be questioned to determine what charges, if any will be filed against them.

The seven Somali men are accused of hijacking the MT BUNGA LAUREL in the Gulf of Aden on the night of January 20. The armed pirates stormed the ship and the crew locked themselves in a safe room where they activated a distress signal.

The nearby Malaysian warship responded to the distressed vessel just hours later, sending in a rescue team early Friday morning. A Fennec attack helicopter hovered above the pirate’s mother ship while the commandos boarded the BUNGA LAUREL. A shootout between the Malaysian troops and the pirates ensued. The pirates overcome by the commando squad eventually surrendered. Three pirates were injured during the raid.

The 23 crewmembers onboard the Japanese owned ship were freed and continued on their way to Singapore with a cargo of oil, worth an estimated $10 million.

The raid by Malaysian troops occurred on the same day that South Korean commandos freed a ship that had been hijacked by pirates. Eight pirates were killed and three South Korean soldiers and one crewmember were injured during S. Korea’s mission to free the SAMHO JEWELERY.