Ten Indonesians face the death penalty on the mainland, accused of an 11 million yuan (HK$10.2 million) high seas robbery near Singapore.
The alleged pirates, arrested off Guangdong, are said to have wielded knives when they boarded a Thai vessel, the Siam Xanxa, on June 9 as it transported 2,200 tonnes of diesel oil from Singapore to Thailand.
Two days later, 16 crew members of the Siam Xanxa were put on a speedboat. One Thai sailor was detained.
The gang is said to have destroyed the ship's licences and repainted it as a Singapore-registered vessel. Mainland officers intercepted the ship off Shantou on June 17 when the oil was being illegally supplied to a Chinese boat.
Interpol informed the mainland investigators of the piracy case in July after it was reported by the 16 sailors, who were rescued by a Malaysian fishing boat.
Vice-director of the Shantou Public Security Bureau Xie Yongpeng said the leader of the Indonesians told officers they were smugglers working for someone in Singapore.
