Chinese ship held in Malaysia after removing arms from sunk WWII ship

Robert Besser
03 Jun 2023, 20:57 GMT+10

Malaysia's maritime agency has said that it found a cannon shell believed to be from World War II on a Chinese-registered barge
This, it said, could be involved in the looting of two British warships resting in the South China Sea
Malaysian media reported that illegal salvage operators were believed to have targeted the HMS Repulse and the HMS Prince of Wales, which were sunk in 1941 by Japanese torpedoes

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Malaysia's maritime agency has said that it found a cannon shell believed to be from World War II on a Chinese-registered barge, which could be involved in the looting of two British warships resting in the South China Sea.

Malaysian media reported that illegal salvage operators were believed to have targeted the HMS Repulse and the HMS Prince of Wales, which were sunk in 1941 by Japanese torpedoes.

Some 842 sailors died on the two ships, and their shipwrecks off the coast of central Pahang state are designated war graves. Fishermen and divers alerted authorities after spotting a foreign vessel near the area last month.

The vessel, registered in Fuzhou, China, was detained this week for anchoring without a permit off southern Johor state, the agency said, adding that it had 32 crew members, including 21 Chinese, 10 from Bangladesh and a Malaysian.

Officials from the National Heritage Department and others will work to identify the cannon shell, it added.

The UK's National Museum of the Royal Navy last week said it was "distressed and concerned at the apparent vandalism for personal profit."

Pictures and a video released by the agency showed a barge with a large crane and heaps of rusty metal on board. Known as pre-war steel, the material from the two warships is valuable and could be smelted for use in manufacturing of scientific and medical equipment.

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Canada Standard.

More Information

7 ℃

Mostly Cloudy in Ottawa/Macdonald

International

Section

Famous Uyghur scholar gets life sentence from court in China

BEIJING, China: A respected Uyghur scholar, known for her extensive work in studying Uyghur folklore and traditions, has been sentenced ...

Coal mine fire in Guizhou province, China, kills 16 people

BEIJING, China: Local authorities said a fire at the Shanjiaoshu coal mine in Guizhou province, southern China, killed 16 people ...

Flamingos cause a flutter at Lake Michigan beach in Wisconsin

MADISON, Wisconsin: Last week, five flamingos were seen along a Lake Michigan beach in Wisconsin, attracting a large crowd of ...

UK government may truncate over-budget high-speed rail project

LONDON, UK: The UK government said over the weekend that it could downscale the scope of the High Speed 2 ...

Lahaina officials lift restrictions for residents to return after wildfire

LAHAINA, Hawaii: This week, officials are expected to begin lifting restrictions on entry to the burn zone in Lahaina, Hawaii, ...

Bus carrying high school band crashes in New York, two dead

LONG ISLAND, New York: On Thursday, a bus carrying members of a high school marching band traveling to a music ...

Sports

Section

Juan Soto, Seth Lugo lead Padres over Giants

(Photo credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports) Juan Soto belted two home runs, Seth Lugo was one out away from a ...

I'd play in goal for this team: Manchester United midfielder Sofyan Amrabat

Manchester [UK], September 27 (ANI): Following Manchester United's 3-0 win against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, midfielder ...

Will sell offline tickets of ODI WC for the local fans: HPCA Secretary Avnish Parmar

Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 27 (ANI): Before the start of the ODI World Cup 2023 in India, Himachal Pradesh ...

Dodgers' offense returns in time for DH split with Rockies

(Photo credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports) Freddie Freeman homered among his two hits, James Outman added four hits and ...

Asian Games: Nepal shatters T20I records against Mongolia, smashes highest total, fastest 50 and century in format history

Hangzhou [China], September 27 (ANI): Nepal men's cricket team made history at the ongoing Asian Games cricket tournament in Hangzhou, ...

Twins hand A's record 109th loss

(Photo credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports) Matt Wallner hit a grand slam to highlight a five-run first inning and Alex ...