The Malaysian maritime authorities have detained the Chinese dredger, MV Chuan Hong 68, in connection with suspected plundering activities involving two World War II Royal Navy shipwrecks. The entire crew is being held on account of paperwork violations, which include port clearances and the presence of 60 unregistered LPG containers on board.
The Malaysian newspaper, New Straits Times, reported that investigators are also delving into how the vessel was issued permits to carry out salvage operations on the MV Armada in February last year and a wreck known as “Maritime Fidelity” in September of the same year, both located off Johor. There are concerns over how a ship with a “bad reputation” such as the Chuan Hong 68, which has been in question for several years, was permitted to return to Malaysian waters in the first place.
The suspected plundering incident involving the two warships, which is said to have occurred in May 2023, was motivated by the valuable steel, aluminum, and brass fittings found in the wrecks. These metals, having been produced prior to the use and testing of nuclear weapons, are considered to be of significant value in highly specialized manufacturing processes.
Following an inspection of the Chuan Hong 68 in May 2023, rusting artillery shells and other scrap believed to have originated from the two warships were discovered by inspectors. Subsequently, Malaysian authorities confiscated two cannons, additional ordnance, and various other artifacts from a junkyard, likely stemming from the sunken warships.
It was revealed that the “notices to mariners” concerning the salvage operations had been removed from the maritime posting website, which serves as a guide to authorities regarding the vessels operating within their territorial waters. The investigation into the matter involves various local agencies such as the Malaysian National Heritage Department, the Maritime Enforcement Agency, and the Marine Department.
A previous incident in which the Chuan Hong 68 was detained by Malaysian authorities involved the alleged crushing and removal of wreckage from the Royal Navy battleship HMS Prince of Wales and battlecruiser HMS Repulse in the same waters in May of the preceding year. Both of these vessels had been sunk by Japanese bombers during the invasion of the Malay Peninsula in December 1941, shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The illegal salvage operation in Malaysia highlights the vulnerability of historic heritage sites to those seeking to exploit war graves, as stated by the director general of the Museum of the Royal Navy. The Royal Navy condemned the dredging of the historic wreckage site as “disgraceful,” particularly in light of the fact that 840 crew members lost their lives during the attack by Japanese bombers.
Furthermore, it was reported that the U.K. Ministry of Defense had dispatched a task force of survey vessels to the region six years ago to investigate the status of the wrecks, in response to concerns over illegal dredging, scavenging, and looting activities. The ministry had also utilized satellite monitoring to keep track of activities near the wreck sites.
Recent reports from South East Asian news media have suggested that the Chuan Hong 68 may be implicated in illegal shipwreck salvaging activities involving Dutch warships in Indonesia, as well as in Singapore, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Despite this, there have been no updates from Malaysian authorities regarding the case over the past year.
The vessel’s repeated return to the same operating area, often disappearing from the marine Automatic Identification System for extended periods of time, has raised further concerns. Authorities are currently working on resolving these pressing issues surrounding the suspected illegal activities of the Chuan Hong 68.
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