A Malaysian fishing boat skipper and a local fisherman left the Kampung Bagan Sungai Besar jetty on a fishing expedition on Wednesday.
Skipper Chia Yeow Chian and Ismail Rejab, both aged 41, accompanied by three Indonesian fishermen, were scheduled to return, two days later.
Instead, what greeted Yeow Chian’s brother, Yeow Soon, who owns the deep-seafishing vessel, was nothing short of the macabre. The boat minus the five fisherman, was found docked at the jetty about 7am yesterday, with bloodstains splattered inside the vessel.
Compounding suspicion that all may not be well, a search and rescue (SAR) teamsubsequently stumbled on another grim find at sea, the fishermen’s blood-stained mattress. Yeow Soon, 39, has lodged a police report over their disappearance and the possibility they might have been attacked at sea.
Sabak Bernam police chief Superintendent Noor Mushar Mohamad has not ruledout foul play into the disappearance of the five fishermen.
He told reporters today that Yeow Soon, upon finding the vessel at the jetty,tried to locate the missing men at their respective homes but was told they did not return. He said the identity of the three Indonesian fishermen had not been ascertained.
“As to who might have returned the boat at the jetty, remains a mystery. Until a lead is found, the case is currently being investigated as a ‘Missing Persons Report’,” added Noor Mushar.
He said an SAR operation to locate the fishermen was underway, withcooperation from the relevant authorities, including the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.
– Bernama
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