May 29, 2023 2:07 PM GMT+7
KUALA LUMPUR, May 29 (Reuters) - Malaysia's maritime authorities
on Monday said cannon shells believed to be from World War Two have been found
on a China-registered bulk carrier ship detained at the weekend for anchoring
in its waters without permission.
The discovery comes amid reports this month that scavengers have
targeted two British World War Two wrecks off the coast of Malaysia - the HMS
Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse - which were sunk by Japanese torpedoes in
1941, just three days after the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.
Following reports of
the illegal salvage activity, Britain's National Museum of the Royal Navy last
week said it was "distressed and concerned at the apparent vandalism for
personal profit" of the two wrecks.
The defence ministry
condemned "desecration" of maritime military graves, the BBC said on
Saturday.
A ship registered in
Fuzhou, China and carrying 32 crew failed to present anchoring permits during a
routine inspection in waters off Malaysia's southern Johor state on Sunday, the
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said.
Authorities found
scrap metal and cannon shells on the ship upon further checks.
The shells could be
linked to a separate seizure by police at a Johor jetty last week of multiple
unexploded World War Two-era artillery.
Authorities believe those
may have been scavenged from the HMS Prince of Wales, the MMEA said, adding it
was working with Malaysia's National Heritage Department and other agencies to
identify the ammunition found.
Reporting by Rozanna
Latiff; Editing by Martin Petty
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