Nine Indonesian crew members of a fishing boat suspected of killing their captain and chief engineer have been arrested by Taiwan’s coastguard.

Taiwanese coastguards intercepted the Te Hung Hsing nearly 4,500 nautical miles (8,300 kilometers) off Taiwan’s southernmost tip and raided the 98-tonne fishing boat.

The owner of the fishing boat said the Taiwanese skipper had not responded to his satellite call for three days, prompting him to seek help from authorities.

The coastguards said they could not find the Taiwanese captain, Chen Te-sheng, 55, and chief engineer Ho Chang-lin, 67, on board.

“We fear they’ve been murdered and tossed overboard,” a coastguard spokesman told AFP.

The 9 Indonesians were being shipped back to Taiwan for investigation, the coastguard said.