The Northern Territory coroner will refer his findings into the Ashmore Reef asylum seekers boat explosion to the NT commissioner of police to examine whether criminal charges can been laid against three of the men on board.
Five men drowned after being blown off the boat known as SIEV 36 when it exploded near Ashmore Reef off northwestern Australia in April last year.
In handing down his findings on Wednesday, NT Coroner Greg Cavanagh said it was likely asylum seekers - Ghulam Mohammadi, Arman Ali Brahimi and Sabzali Salman - were acting in concert to implement a plan to sabotage the boat.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Mr Cavanagh said the three men had set fire to the vessel to cripple it in order to prevent its "perceived" return to Indonesia.
"I only have to have a belief about a crime being committed and that the question of whether or not there is a sufficient basis for further investigation and prosecution is a matter for them (NT Director of Public Prosecutions)," he said.
He said the explosion could have been prevented if unleaded petrol on board the boat had been identified and secured by Navy personnel.
However, he said more people may have died if not for the actions of the Australian Defence Force members.
He said that even if life jackets had been accessible, there was not enough time for the asylum seekers to use them.
