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