PULAU TIOMAN, Aug 7 — The investigation papers on the hijacking of the Malaysian oil tanker, MT Orkim Harmony, has been completed and only awaiting the extradition process of the eight suspects from Vietnam to Malaysia for prosecution.

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) deputy director-general (operations) Vice Admiral (Maritime) Datuk Ahmad Puzi Ab Kahar said he and five other MMEA officers were in Hanoi, Vietnam recently over the matter.

“We have met the eight suspects with the cooperation of Vietnamese Coast Guard and has taken information including fingerprints and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) reports.

“Now we are only waiting for the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Foreign Ministry and the approval from the Vietnamese government for the extradition process,” he said.

He was speaking to reporters after attending the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between MMEA and Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN), here today.

The oil tanker, laden with 6,000 tonnes of petrol worth RM21 million, was reported missing on the night of June 11 while enroute to Kuantan from Melaka.

The tanker was found on June 19 in waters near Vietnam and eight people suspected of hijacking the vessel were arrested by Vietnamese authorities near Tho Chu Island, southern Vietnam. — Bernama