DEEP SEA LOOTING

Chinese Ship Seized on Suspicion of Raiding Sunken British WWII Wrecks

Malaysian authorities detained the ship in the South China Sea and found what they suspect to be looted ammunition onboard.

Malaysian authorities seized a Chinese boat on Sunday on the suspicion it had raided two sunken British battleships that had been sunk during World War II. Onboard, authorities recovered what they believed to be looted ammunition from the HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse, the BBC reported. The Japanese Navy torpedoed and sunk both ships in December 1941, killing more than 840 sailors. The ships have since become a common target for raids as looters try to salvage valuable steel from the wrecks—an act the UK Ministry of Defence has called a “desecration.” Malaysian authorities detained the ship after finding it anchored at the site of the wrecks in the South China Sea.