Eight men claiming to be fishermen from North Korea were found in Akita Prefecture after their wooden boat broke down and drifted to a port, officials said Friday.

After being discovered late Thursday night at a marina, the men were immediately taken into custody at a police station in the city of Yurihonjo, said Yoshinobu Ito, deputy chief of Yurihonjo Police Station. The men identified themselves as North Korean fishermen and claimed that their boat went adrift after breaking down, Ito said.

Kyodo News, quoting investigative sources, reported that the boat's engine stopped due to a malfunction.