Chinese Police Check Possible Pirated Ship

Chinese police were checking Friday to see if a Japanese cargo ship commandeered by pirates about four months ago may have been found on its shores, a Japanese shipping industry source said.

The 6,594 dwt chemical tanker Global Mars left Malaysia with 17 people aboard on February 22. The Panama-registered ship's crew - seven South Koreans and 10 from Myanmar - were found in mid-March on an island off Phuket, Thailand.

South Korea's Maritime Affairs Ministry and a South Korean shipping firm said the ship's last contact was on February 22 when it was some 385 km (240 miles) north of Indonesia. The vessel was reported to have been carrying a cargo of palm oil and is owned by Japan's Global Marine Service Co. Ltd.