Crew missing, foul play suspected

Crew missing, foul play suspected

TAIWAN: Taiwan suspects foul play in the disappearance of the
crew of a fishing trawler that was found empty near the
Indonesian island of Java, authorities said on Thursday.

The ship, which disappeared late last month, was found on
Wednesday.

Its "crew, cargo of fish, and equipment were all missing,"
said fisheries official Sha Chih-yi, who suspected theft or
piracy.

The ship, registered in southern Taiwan's Liuchiu, had three
Taiwanese nationals on board - including its captain, Chen Chin-
cheng - two Chinese and four Indonesians, Sha said.

The ship, Chan Cheng Tsung, left the Pacific island of Guam
late last month and lost contact on July 31, Sha said. The area
where the trawler was found is approximately 1,600 kilometers
(1,000 miles) from where it disappeared. --AP