Police shoot dead four pirates

Police shoot dead four pirates

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuter): Malaysian police yesterday shot dead four foreigners, believed to be pirates, after a two-hour sea chase off Sabah state on Borneo island, the national Bernama news agency reported.

It quoted Semporna district police chief Sulaiman Junaidi as saying that the four men were travelling in three boats. One of the boats caught fire in the shooting, he said, adding that police recovered two rifles and nine rounds of live ammunition from the boats.

Sulaiman said several outboard motors were also found on the boats which were believed to have been stolen. The four men had robbed fishermen and were making their escape when marine police patrolling the area spotted them.

Sulaiman said the four were believed to have been involved in several robberies in the area. The east coast town of Semporna has been attacked by pirates twice this year.