Police in Mandalay Division have arrested eight people suspected of robbing a passenger ship on the Irrawaddy River on Sunday.

According to the Myanmar Police Force, six suspected pirates were detained in Tada-U, Mandalay Division, on 17 April following the daring attack earlier the same day.

Police said that a group of around 10 men pretending to be passengers boarded the Loi Sam Sip and began demanding cash, gold and other valuables worth a total of 3.1 million kyat (US$2,630) from those already aboard.

The pirates remained on the ship between the villages of Latsaungyu and Ponnachan before fleeing in a speed boat to Sagaing Division, police said.

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Following a tip, police tracked down the pirates to Yeitthagyun village, where six people were arrested after first resisting with knives, swords and petrol bottles.

Two other people suspected of involvement in the attack were arrested on Monday.

The captain of the Loi Sam Sip said he would press charges against the accused, including the group’s apparent ringleader San Nyunt Oo, aka Nga Jit, under Article 395 of the Criminal Code.