The Netherlands is to try five Somalis suspected of having abducted two South Africans from their yacht off the Seychelles, the public prosecution department said on Sunday.

The five, aged between 20 and 30, are part of a group of 20 people arrested off the coast of Somalia in two separate operations led by the HMS Amsterdam last month. Fifteen of them were later released because of lack of evidence.

The suspects are not yet in the Netherlands, the department said. They were remanded in custody for 90 days by court officials who flew out to the ship on Saturday.

The department said the suspects would be tried for piracy in Rotterdam. They face up to 12 years in prison if convicted of having led the pirates, nine if they were among the pirate crew.

Somali pirates are making tens of millions of dollars in ransom capturing ships in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, although the Sunday's hijack happened nearly 3,000 kilometres (1,864 miles) east of Somalia.

Source: Dutchnews.nl