The Malaysian Insider
The Royal Malaysian Navy’s Naval Region Command 1 (Mawilla 1) foiled an attempt by a group of Vietnamese fishermen to loot British World War Two warships about 60 nautical miles from Tanjung Gelang, near Kuantan, on 27 November 2014.
Mawilla 1 stated that the fishermen were believed to be targeting two sunken ships, the HMS Repulse and HMS Prince Of Wales.
According to the statement, the navy’s success in foiling the attempt to steal the underwater treasures of the nation was the result of information received from the Pahang Fishermen’s Association which was relayed in a special program last week.
“The foreign fishermen who were diving illegally in the waters about 60 nautical miles from Tanjung Gelang were apprehended by the KD Perkasa naval ship which was on its way home after completing Malindo Jaya training.
“KD Perkasa detained a fishing boat which had been modified into a diving boat and its 17 Vietnamese crew, including some who were still diving at the sea bed, believed to be looting a warship which was sunk during the second World War, ” he said.
He said checks found that all the boat’s crew did not have valid identification papers except for the skipper.
All were brought to the Tanjung Gelang naval base to be handed over to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) for further action.
