Somali Pirates Sentenced in Malaysia

A Malaysian court has sentenced seven Somali pirates to eight to 10 years imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to shooting at Malaysian troops in the Gulf of Aden

Somali pirates sentenced to prison in Malaysia

A Malaysian court on Monday sentenced seven Somali pirates to eight to 10 years imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to shooting at Malaysian troops on board a tanker in Gulf of Aden in 2011.

Kuala Lumpur High Court Judge Azman Husin ordered the jail sentences to run from the date of the arrest on January 20, 2011.

The pirates boarded the Malaysian-operated chemical tanker MT Bunga Laurel in the sea about 600 kilometres off Muscat, Oman, according to court records.

Commandos from a Royal Malaysian Navy ship, who were tasked to protect the country’s interests in the area, stormed the tanker a few hours later and captured the pirates.

The tanker was carrying lubricating oil and ethylene dichloride en route to Singapore at the time.

Source: Agencies