NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Interpol is compiling fingerprints, photographs and other personal data on Somali pirate suspects to help in prosecutions worldwide.

Interpol said Wednesday its bureau in the Seychelles islands already has provided details on 23 detained Somalis. The information can be accessed by any of the agency’s 187 member countries.

Despite international patrols, piracy has exploded in the Gulf of Aden and around Somalia’s 1,900-mile (3,060-kilometer) coastline — the longest in Africa.

The international community is grappling with how and where to try captured pirates. Many nations are wary of hauling in pirates for trial for fear of being saddled with them after they serve out prison terms.

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