The Nigerian Navy, in a joint operation with the United States Coast Guard arrested nine suspected pirates comprising three Greece citizens, an American and five blacks.

The suspects were arrested within the Western Naval command area of the Gulf of Guinea.

Among the foreigners were, Angelopolous Spyridon, 54, Kappis Christos, 57, Petropoulos Stylianos, 34, (all from Greece), Zanski Michael- Anderson, 50, (American) and another unnamed American. The blacks among them claimed to be Nigerians.

After a thorough search of their vessel, the naval operatives recovered four military assault rifles (Bernelli MR- 1) loaded with magazines, about 1,000 live ammunition in a box and other hidden exhibits including various communication gadgets.

Speaking with newsmen, the Officer in Tactical Command of the Operation, Commodore Dickson Olisemenogor, said further investigation to unravel others behind the illegal operations of the vessel on the Nigerian waters would continue and those found culpable would be handed over to the concerned agencies for prosecution.

It was also gathered that their data was sent to the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), which established that none of the foreigners had visa to Nigeria, but curiously, they had pass purportedly from the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) that has no jurisdiction on the high seas.