GOVERNMENT troops on seaborne patrol have arrested two gunmen believed to be pirates offshore Zamboanga del Sur province, a military official said Wednesday.

Major Ramon David Hontiveros, spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom), identified the arrested suspects as Gaudencio Laure alias Dencio, 40, and Francisco Misa alias Tata Cañete, 39.

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Hontiveros said the troops confiscated from the suspects an M-16 Armalite rifle and a Garand rifle with several rounds of ammunition.

He said the suspects were chanced upon by the troops around 5 a.m. Monday in the vicinity of Purok Manga, Dumalinao town while patrolling the Zamboanga del Sur waters.

He said the suspects are believed to be responsible for the series of piracy and extortion activities off the coast of Dumalinao and San Pablo towns in Zamboanga del Sur.

The victims, in most cases, are marginal fishermen wherein the outlaws divest them of their motorboat engines and other fishing gears. (Bong Garcia)