Mystery deepens on missing ship’s fate
Mystery deepens on missing ship’s fate
KUALA LUMPUR: The investigation into the mysterious disappearance of a ship carrying three Malaysian crewmen, which went off the radar on Jan 1 in Indonesian waters, is looking into the possibility that it was hijacked.
MV Dai Cat 06, a Malaysian-registered vessel, left Lumut on Dec 23 and was supposed to arrive in Kuching on Dec 31. The ship was reported missing on Jan 1. It was carrying a cargo of 527 metal pipes valued at RM726,205.
The ship was captained by Adi, 43, an Indonesian, and a senior engineer, Damai Papane Ole, 57, also from Indonesia. The three other crew members were head of ship operations Mohammad Syafarizan Mohd Noor, 24, Mohammad Sudeh Sudin, 20, and Derrent Littor, 22, all Malaysians.
A source with knowledge of the investigation told the New Straits Times that the authorities were recording statements from the owner of the ship, their local agents, as well as family members. The source said they were amassing as much information as possible to learn the ship’s fate.
These include the fact that there were no debris or oil slicks found around the area where the ship was last detected, which are usual tell-tale signs of a vessel having sank.
“The Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) mounted a seven-day search operation for the ship from Jan 8.
“It stopped as it did not find any clue to show that the vessel had sunk. No debris, no oil slicks, nothing.
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“This was despite the agency deploying not only marine but also air assets,” the source said, adding that the search might resume should new evidence surface.
The source said Basarnas, during the search, had also reached out to other ships around the search area, but none had reported any sighting of the missing vessel.
It is understood that the search areas were along the routes taken by ships that travelled via the Singapore Strait to Kalimantan or Sabah and Sarawak.
The source said MV Dai Cat 06 sent out several distress signals via its Emergency Position-Indicating Radiobeacon (EPIRB) system. EPIRB is a device used by seafarers to alert search-and-rescue services in case of an emergency at sea.
The signals were sent at different locations. Upon receiving the first signal on Jan 5, Basarnas immediately deployed a search party to the last known location, but found nothing.
Another signal came in several hours later. However, this left investigators puzzled as it was deemed as being too far away from the first location.
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“This made no sense given the ship’s top speed. They would not have been able to get from point A to B within that period,” said the source.
EPIRB signals from the ship were also traced for three consecutive days on Jan 7, 8 and 9.
The source said EPIRB signals, which is unique to a ship, can be triggered either manually or automatically, such as when a ship sinks.
“EPIRB releases a continuous signal. In cases where a ship sinks, the beacon will float.
“The device also has its own power source, allowing it to emit a continuous signal.
“But in the case of MV Dai Cat 06, the signal went out after a while, only for the authorities to receive another signal at a different location.”
The NST was also made to understand that the ship’s Automated Identification System was turned off as soon as it left Malaysian waters.
It is also learnt that one of the Malaysian crew members had told a family member about the “unusual route” the vessel was taking. The route, said the crew member, had limited cellphone coverage.
It is learnt that the authorities were scrutinising the financial background of the company that owned the vessel, including its salary payment records, to rule out any possibilities.
“People assume that when a ship is missing, it had sunk. This is not always the case.
“The authorities are looking at many aspects, including whether the crew were ‘well taken care of’ by their employer,” the source said, adding that it had yet to be established whether a ransom demand had been made.
It is understood that the ship along with its consignment, could be worth almost RM2 million.
It is also learnt that the area in which the vessel disappeared had seen several hijackings and sea robberies in the past.
Mystery deepens on missing ship’s fate
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