World

Malaysia detains Chinese ship for looting British World War II sunk battleships

Malaysia has detained a Chinese-flagged cargo ship suspected of looting two World War II  British shipwrecks in the country’s exclusive economic zone, according to a report from the state-run Bernama news agency.

Local maritime police detained the Chinese ship on Sunday. The ship, registered in Fuzhou, had 32 crew on board, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said in a statement.

Cannon shells “suspected to be from World War Two” were uncovered during a search of the vessel. Malaysian agencies are also investigating the provenance of the ammunition.

The ammunition is believed to be from the British Navy ships HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse, which were sunk by the Japanese in 1941 was found on board.

Old shipwrecks are targeted by scavengers for their rare “pre-war steel” as low radiation in the steel makes it a rare and valuable resource for use in medical and scientific equipment.

Fishermen and divers first reported the presence of the foreign vessel to Malaysia authorities last month.

The Royal Navy battleships were dispatched to Singapore during World War 2 to strengthen the defence of Malaya and were sunk by Japanese torpedoes on 10 December 1941.

The strike – which occurred just three days after the attack on the US fleet in Pearl Harbour – killed some 842 sailors and is considered one of the worst disasters in British naval history, according to a BBC report.

The area is the site of the wrecks of two British warships, the battleship HMS Prince of Wales and cruiser HMS Repulse, sunk in an attack by Japanese warplanes on December 10, 1941, just two days after Japan attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

The looting of World War II shipwrecks has been condemned in Britain as it amounts to a desecration of maritime graves of the country’s war heroes.

SPS Pannu

Recent Posts

VINBAX 2024: Vietnam-India bilateral army exercise concludes at Kaushalya Dam

The fifth edition of the historic Indo-Vietnam Joint Field Training Exercise, VINBAX-2024, successfully concluded its…

14 hours ago

India-Russia strengthen defence ties at 22nd Working Group meeting on military technical cooperation

The 22nd meeting of the India-Russia Working Group on Military technical cooperation and defence industry…

15 hours ago

“I want to have strong representation of India at World Nuclear Exhibition 2025”: Sylvie Bermann

Sylvie Bermann, President of the World Nuclear Exhibition expressed confidence in India's nuclear supply chain…

16 hours ago

PoJK: Joint Awami Action Committee protests against government following new ordinance, many injured

Joint Awami Action Committee core member Shaukat Nawaz Mir has condemned the attack of police…

16 hours ago

PM Modi meets 31 world leaders, heads of organisations during his 3-nation foreign visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in 31 Bilateral Meetings and informal interactions with global leaders…

19 hours ago

India- Australia conduct 11th Indian Air Force-Royal Australian Air Force Air Staff Talks

India and Australia conducted the 11th edition of the Indian Air Force and Royal Australian…

19 hours ago