Malaysia seized the stolen Chinese ship

Malaysia has detained a Chinese-flagged transport ship suspected of looting a sunken British warship from World War II.

In a statement issued by the Malaysian Maritime Administration, it was reported that the transport vessel, registered in Fuzhou, China, was boarded while moored without permission near the southern state of Johor, Malaysia.

An artillery shell was found

The statement also mentioned that there was an artillery shell belonging to a British warship that sank during World War II.

It is reported that the shell in question is believed to be related to dozens of unexploded ordnance and other ammunition remnants found in Johor.

It was also stated that the ammunition found was detonated in a controlled manner.

It was indicated in the statement that the ship was seized on suspicion of looting the sunken British warship, that its crew included 32 people, including 21 Chinese, 10 Bangladeshis and one Malaysian.

About 842 sailors died

According to Malaysian media, people impersonating search and rescue teams are trying to loot the wreckage of HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales, which were sunk by Japanese torpedoes in 1941 after the attack on Pearl Harbor with transport ships called "barges". During World War II, a total of 842 sailors died on these ships and the wrecks are accepted as shrines. Malaysian fishermen and divers alerted authorities after sighting a foreign ship near the area in April.