BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA (BNO NEWS) -- The leader of the Somali pirates who hijacked a freighter earlier this year on Friday was sentenced to life in prison by a South Korean court.

According to the Yonhap news agency, the Busan District Court convicted Mahomed Arai, 21, after being found guilty of eight charges, including attempted murder and maritime robbery.

Arai was sentenced along three other Somali pirates who received prison terms ranging between 13 to 15 years. On January 15, a group of Somali nationals pirated the Samho Jewelry, a South Korean freighter, in the Arabian Sea.

The 11,500-ton chemical carrier and its crew were rescued after an operation of the South Korean naval commando. Eight pirates were killed in the operation. Five individuals were arrested and all 12 crew members saved.

Arai was accused of shooting the freighter's captain, Seok Hae-kyun, at point blank range as well as using other crew members as human shields during the Navy's raid. The captain sustained several gunshots but survived.

An investigation determined that the captain suffered three bullet wounds but two of them were stray bullets fired by South Korea's Cheonghae Unit during the operation. The critical wound was caused by an AK-rifle which was seen carried by Arai during the raid.

The fifth Somali pirate detained during the operation pleaded guilty to all charges. He faced a separate trial due to his plea deal and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 1.

(Copyright 2011 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.)