e waters on April 26 and escorted it to Haikou, capital of China's southern island province of Hainan, after the vessel was hijacked in waters bordering Malaysia and Vietnam on April 16, the official said. The crew of 21 was safe, the provincial government official said. The 12 Indonesians face charges of piracy, smuggling and illegal entry. The pirates transferred diesel and kerosene from the Petro Ranger to a Chinese-registered vessel, which has also been taken into custody for smuggling in Chinese waters, the official quoted Petro Ranger's Australian master, Kenneth Blyth, as saying. The Honduran-flagged, Malaysian-owned 12,357 dwt Petro Ranger was carrying 10,000 tonnes of diesel and kerosene worth $1.5 million. The Petro Ranger was now stranded in Haikou while China helped repair communications equipment destroyed by the pirates, the official said.