MALAYSIAN NAVY FOILS ATTEMPT TO STEAL RELICS FROM SUNKEN BRITISH WARSHIP

TANJUNG GELANG, Malaysia -  A suspected attempt to steal relics from sunken British warships was foiled by the Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM) following the arrest of 17 Vietnamese seamen on Thursday.

A TLDM spokesman said in a statement on Friday that the arrest was made by KD Perkasa, about 60 nautical miles away from Tanjung Gelang at about 6.45am.

KD Perkasa, under the leadership of Lt Kdr Mohd Faizzal Mohd Ali, had stopped a diving boat carrying 17 Vietnamese seamen while on their way home upon completion of the Malindo Jaya exercise.

The crew, with exception of the captain, were found with no valid identification documents on them.

Some of the crew members were in the midst of diving into the seabed when the arrest was made.

They were believed to have been carrying out illegal diving activities in the area.

According to sources, two British war ships, namely HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales, had sunk in the area on Dec 10, 1941 during the Second World War.

KD Perkasa brought the vessel, crews and seized devices to the Tanjung Gelang Navy Base at around 5.30pm to be handed to the Eastern region Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) for further action.

Source: The Star