SIX FOREIGNERS NABBED FOR ATTEMPTED ROBBERY

JOHOR BAHARU (Johor, Malaysia), Sept 20 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Maritime
Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has detained six foreigners in connection with
attempting to rob three merchant ships, about 2.4 nautical miles west of Tanjung
Piai early Monday.

A team of MMEA officers on a vessel seized butcher knives, hammers, axes,
screwdrivers, rope and bamboo from the suspects after intercepting their wooden
boat in the incident about 12.40am.

Southern Region MMEA chief Maritime First Admiral Zulkifli Abu Bakar said
that earlier, the six men who were on the wooden boat, were closing in on the
'MV Kandariah', 'MV Al-Agaila' and 'MV Sky Jupiter' ships.

At that juncture, they spotted the MMEA vessel and attempted to make a
getaway but in vain, he said.

Zulkifli did not rule out that the suspects might have been armed with
firearms but threw them in the sea upon seeing the MMEA personnel.