RMN detain 12 foreigners suspected of stealing underwater treasures

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KUANTAN: The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) detained two fishing boats with 12 individuals suspected of stealing underwater treasures near Pulau Tioman.

KD Pahang commanding officer Commander Nikmat Azhar Mahmud said KD Pahang  detected one of the suspicious looking boats about 55.5 nautical miles north of Pulau Tioman at 1.35pm Sunday.

The fishing boat was in the area of World War II-era shipwrecks, he added.

“The boat tried to flee and forcing KD Pahang to fire two shots before the boat could be seized,” he  told a press conference here yesterday.

Nikmat Azhar said upon inspection, a Thai national man was the only one in the boat.

Nikmat Azhar said the RMN later detected another boat carrying a Vietnamese  skipper and 10 crew about 60 nautical miles north of Pulau Tioman  on the same day.

“Pieces of copper believed to have originated from the shipwrecks were also found in the boat,” he said. – Bernama