The Royal Navy battleship HMS Prince of Wales coming in to moor at Singapore in 1941
The Royal Navy battleship HMS Prince of Wales coming in to moor at Singapore in 1941

Malaysia detains Chinese ship suspected of looting two British WWII wrecks

Malaysia's maritime authorities have detained a Chinese-flagged cargo ship amid reports this month that scavengers targeted two British World War Two wrecks off the coast of Malaysia—the HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse—which were sunk by Japanese torpedoes in 1941.

An inspection of the cargo ship led to the discovery of old steel and cannon shells believed to have been scavenged from the HMS Prince of Wales. The shells could be linked to a separate seizure by police at a Johor jetty last week of multiple unexploded World War II-era artillery.