10 divers arrested in Indonesia

The Jakart Post reports 10 people have been arrested on Indonesian soil, accused of robbing wreckers. Among the detainees are 5 locals and 5 Vietnamese. A Navy patrol detained all the aforementioned in the act.

-- Advertisement --

According to Western Fleet Maritime Security Task Force representative Cmdr Harjo Susmoro, the arrest was made on Tuesday evening, during a routine patrol in the Karang Haliputan waters, near Tanjung Pinang.

The perpetrators were travelling in a motor boat, which is a very popular means of transport among local fishermen. During the arrest, the 3 Vietnamese were found to be suffering from decompression sickness and had to be hospitalised at the Tanjung Pinang Naval Hospital.

Unfortunately, similar situations are not rare. Last year alone, 3 gangs engaged in stealing wrecks, which are numerous on the seabed, were successfully broken up. According to estimates, there are 463 wrecks in Indonesian waters.

In March this year, a special police unit recovered 3,680 items (mostly ceramics) illegally recovered from wrecks after arresting a group of divers on Numbing Island. They were taken to government storage facilities, where they await their fate along with similar loot.

They will most likely be auctioned off and the proceeds from their sale will go to the state treasury. The surrounding wrecks and the artefacts hidden in them are a tasty morsel, as they usually have a high economic as well as historical value. The most valuable ones in both cases usually end up in museums, while others go under the hammer…

Source: thejakartapost.com