Malaysia detains Chinese barge on suspicion of looting warship wrecks

Malaysia’s maritime company mentioned it discovered a cannon shell believed to be from World War II on a Chinese-registered vessel and was investigating if the barge provider was concerned within the looting of two British warship wrecks within the South China Sea.

Malaysian media reported that unlawful salvage operators have been believed to have focused the HMS Repulse and the HMS Prince of Wales, which have been sunk in 1941 by Japanese torpedoes, days after the assault on Pearl Harbour.

A complete of 842 sailors perished, and the shipwrecks off the coast of central Pahang state are designated warfare graves. Fishermen and divers alerted authorities after recognizing a overseas vessel close to the world final month.

This undated photograph launched by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on May 29, 2023, exhibits a China-registered bulk provider ship detained for anchoring illegally within the waters of east Johor. Authorities are investigating whether or not the ship was concerned within the looting of two British warship wrecks within the South China Sea. (Malaysian Maritime Enforcement) (AP)

The company mentioned it detained the vessel registered in Fuzhou, China, on Sunday for anchoring with no allow off southern Johor state.

It mentioned there have been 32 crew members aboard, together with 21 Chinese, 10 from Bangladesh and a Malaysian.

The company mentioned officers from the National Heritage Department and others will work collectively to establish the cannon shell.

Britain’s National Museum of the Royal Navy final week mentioned it was “distressed and concerned at the apparent vandalism for personal profit.”

This undated photograph launched by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on May 29, 2023, exhibits a World War II cannon shell on a Chinese-registered vessel. It is suspected the shell was illegally recovered from two British warship wrecks within the South China Sea. (MMEA) (AP)

The maritime company mentioned it believed the rusty cannon shell was linked to the police seizure of dozens of unexploded artillery and different relics at a non-public scrapyard in Johor.

The New Straits Times newspaper reported that the ammunitions have been believed to be from the warships and that police performed an on-site managed explosion of the weapons.

Pictures and a video launched by the company confirmed a barge provider with a big crane and heaps of rusty metallic on board.

Known as pre-war metal, the fabric from the 2 warships is effective and might be smelted to be used in manufacturing of some scientific and medical tools.

The British warship HMS Repulse was sunk throughout World War II and its wreck right this moment lays beneath the South China Sea. (Fairfax Media) (Nine)

It was not the primary time that the 2 shipwrecks have been focused.

The New Straits Times reported that overseas treasure hunters used do-it-yourself explosives in 2015 to detonate the heavy metal plates on the ships for simple pickings. Other media mentioned authorities detained a Vietnamese vessel concerned within the looting of the wreckage on the time.