Orkim Harmony: Eight detained confirmed as hijackers

The eight suspects who were detained by the Vietnamese authorities on Friday, were confirmed to be the hijackers of tanker MT Orkim Harmony, said Royal Malaysian Navy.

The matter was also confirmed by the cook of the tanker, who was shown photographs of the men. The cook, an Indonesian national, had sustained gunshot wounds to his thigh on June 11.

The hijackers were found near the Tho Chu island, South Vietnam at about 6.30am on Friday. They told the authorities their fishing boat sank.

RMN commander of Naval Region 1 Rear Admiral Datuk Azahari Abdul Rashid said the eight men might be brought to Malaysia to face charges.

"They are currently being investigated by the Vietnamese authorities," he said at a press conference today.

READ: Orkim Harmony: Are these the guys?

READ: Hijackers slipped away after warning ships to stay five nautical miles - Navy chief

The tanker, which was first spotted in Cambodian waters on Wednesday after went missing for almost a week, was repainted from blue to black. It was also renamed Kim Harmon.

MT Orkim Harmony was sailing from Malacca to Kuantan when it went missing on June 12. On board the tanker were 22 crewmen comprising 16 Malaysians, five Indonesians and one from Myanmar.