SHIP RAID
Chinese scavengers who desecrated Brit war graves of WW2 Royal Navy sailors have vessel RAIDED by cops after Sun probe
A CHINESE scavenger ship has been raided by authorities after The Sun uncovered its desecration of a British WW2 war grave.
Malaysia's coast guard said on Tuesday they were questioning the crew of the vessel detained on suspicion of looting two British shipwrecks where 840 Royal Navy sailors had perished.
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They used a scrap metal barge and illegally dragged up pieces of wreckage from the HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse.
The ships were sunk by Japanese torpedo bombers off the coast of Malaysia two days after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
The wrecks are designated British war grave sites and are supposed to be protected.
Photos obtained by The Sun showed the huge dredger Chuan Hong 68 in the area.
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The vessel, with a giant crane, was spotted by fishermen who tried to confront it but were chased off by scrappers in a speedboat.
Diver Hazz Zain, who helps to protect the wrecks, said: “The barge was being circled by a small boat.
“I alerted the enforcement agencies.”
Malaysian heritage authorities and local police vowed to probe the intrusion.
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Officers discovered unexploded shells on board the Chinese-registered vessel, which was detained for illegal anchorage at the weekend, said Nurul Hizam Zakaria, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency chief in Johor state.
"Our investigation is now directed to where these cannon shells originated from.
"Right now, we have officers from multi-agencies searching the big ship."
He added the vessel from the city of Fuzhou had a crew of 32 comprising 21 Chinese nationals, 10 Bangladeshis, and one Malaysian, some of whom were in coast guard custody for questioning.
"This case also involves the discovery of explosives," he said.
China's foreign affairs ministry said the Chinese embassy in Malaysia was in close communication with local authorities "to understand the situation".
It asked Malaysia to handle the case "fairly and in accordance with the law".
Beijing also asked Malaysia to protect the rights and safety of Chinese citizens.
A senior Malaysian maritime official said the pieces of metal and shells could have originated from two sunken British warships.
Photos and a video shared by the Malaysian coast guard showed large pieces of corroded metal and shells, as well as a large crane and gas torches used to cut metal on board the ship.
The shells could also be linked to the discovery of unexploded WW2-era ordnance at a jetty in Johor on May 19, the maritime agency said in a statement on Monday.
Malaysia's New Straits Times newspaper reported in recent weeks that illegal salvage operators had targeted high-grade aluminium and brass fixtures from the two British warships.
Former Sea Lord Admiral Lord West previously moved to try to protect the wrecks — ordering the salvage of Wales’ bell after it was targeted by scavengers.
He previously told The Sun: “They are war graves — in our waters we look after them, but in someone else’s waters they have to look after them.
“It’s extremely worrying — the Malaysians said they would look after them.
“I’ve had letters from relatives of those lost on the ships.
“To think someone is ripping up the metal where bodies lay, it has a huge impact on the next of kin.”
Police chief Datuk Kamarul said: “An investigation has started.
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“British authorities have been informed.”
The Ministry of Defence said: “We strongly condemn any desecration of any maritime military grave.”
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