Malaysia seizes Chinese ship suspected of looting WW2 wrecks

Malaysian authorities have seized a Chinese registered dredger suspected of looting the wrecks of British warships that sunk off the east coast of the peninsula during World War II.

The Fuzhou-registered Chuan Hong 68 was detained off the coast of the Malaysian state of Johor on May 28, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said in a statement on Facebook on Tuesday.

 Photos released by the agency showed piles of rusted metal on the boat’s deck as well as cranes and cutting equipment.

“Maritime Malaysia (Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency) does not rule out the possibility that this vessel is involved in the theft of old British warship wrecks,” the statement said.