Armed pirates believed to be Indonesians have kidnapped four Thai fishermen in the busy Malacca Straits off Penang, police officials said today.

Guan Beng Kang, deputy police chief in Balik Pulau district told AFP that the pirates have demanded a RM40,000.

"We have alerted the Interpol. They are communicating with neighbouring Indonesian authorities to hunt down the pirates," he said.

Police said the incident happened last Wednesday when a Malaysian owned fishing boat was set upon by the pirates. One of the victims was allowed to call the Malaysian boat owner on his mobile phone to convey the pirates' demand.

The fishing boat tried to outrun the pirates but failed, the Star newspaper said Tuesday, adding the pirates were armed with machine guns.

Guan said police had mobilised the marine and the air wing unit to search for the victims.

Terrorist link

Another police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said initial investigations showed the pirates were from Indonesia.

The incident is the second reported in two months. In April, pirates kidnapped a Thai fisherman in the Malacca Straits off Kendi island. He was released after ransom was paid.

Singapore's Coordinating Minister for Security and Defence Tony Tan in March warned that pirates could link with terrorists to attack ships, especially in the Malacca Straits, a vital lane straddling Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.

A major attack in the straits, which links the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea and the Pacific, could hurt shipping as half the world's oil and a large quantity of goods pass through the lane, Tan said. - AFP