INVESTIGATION WITH 8 PIRATES CONTINUES IN YEMEN

SANA'A, Nov. 16 (Saba) - The initial investigations of the 8 Somali pirates arrested by the weekend in the pirate-plagued Gulf of Aden have revealed they smuggled 50 Africans from Somali Basoso port to Al-Shaher city in Hadhramout.

Meanwhile, the pirates have confessed that they left the coast heading toward Yemen to pirate trade ships that sail in international waters in the region but the Coastguard detained them.

The maritime police are continuing investigating the Somalis.

On their arrest, the pirates claimed they were just fishermen and that their documents were seized by the Mahara authorities.

But when the police checked out their boat weapons including RBGs, machine guns and detonators and ammunitions were found hidden inside a petrol barrel onboard the boat.

A ladder that was believed to be used by the pirates to get onboard attacked vessels was also seized with them.

FR