By Bernadette H. Carreon
Horizon news staff

Palau law enforcement officials have detained seven Indonesian nationals for questioning on the disappearance of a Taiwanese fishing vessel’s captain believed to be killed aboard the boat while at Palau’s high seas.
Vice President and Justice Minister Elias Camsek Chin said the probe was based on a report police received alleging that the vessel’s captain was murdered and thrown at sea after a reported mutiny.
The incident was said to have occurred at the Palau’s Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ).
Chin said that when police received the report on Friday, marine law enforcers dispatched a patrol boat to look for the vessel.
Palau’s law enforcers also searched for the missing captain’s body, who Chin said was a Taiwanese national.
Chin said the vessel was not found nor the missing captain’s body.
He said that there was a delay in dispatching Palau’s marine law enforcers because crewmembers of the patrol boat are on another rescue mission.
The patrol boat was dispatched Friday afternoon.
The next day however, the boat with the Indonesian nationals onboard voluntary docked at Palau.
Chin said the vessel’s crew told police that it is the boat allegedly involved in the reported incident.
Chin refused to divulge the name of the missing captain and the crewmembers pending completion of the investigation.
Chin said the Taiwanese vessel is registered under PITI.