Police stops Vietnamese ship

TANJUNG PINANG, Riau Islands: Tanjung Pinang air and water police apprehended MV Vietrans Timex 05 and its cargo of 40,000 sacks of sugar weighing 2,000 tons in Sore island waters in Riau Islands regency late Tuesday.

Tanjung Pinang Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Widodo Eko Prihastopo said on Wednesday that the Vietnamese ship was apprehended because of its questionable manifest.

The ship, which came from Bangkok, Thailand, was meant to go to Pontianak but it was heading to Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta instead, he added.

"The ship's travel papers are only copies. Besides, sugar imports are prohibited," Widodo said.

The ship's captain claimed the sugar belonged to PT Rajawali Nusantara Indonesia, a licensed sugar importer, but he could not produce the original documents, he said.

The ship, as well as its captain and 12 crew members, has been detained by Tanjung Pinang Police. -- JP