High Aim 6
Encyclopedia
High Aim 6 left the port of Liuchiu in southern Taiwan
on 31 October 2002, and was then found without its crew, drifting in Australia
n waters, on 8 January 2003. The owner of the ship, Tsai Huang Shueh-er, spoke last with the captain in December 2002. The vessel was registered in Taiwan and flew under an Indonesian flag.
While the only member of the Indonesian crew who could be tracked down admitted that the captain Chen Tai-cheng (陳泰成) and the engineer Lin Chung-li (林中立) had been murdered, what happened exactly and the motive for mutiny remain unclear.
inside the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone. The crew was missing
. There was no evident reason for the abandonment: no signs of distress were found, and the crew's personal effects remained on board. The High Aim 6 had plenty of fuel and provisions and no sign of a struggle could be found. Initial concerns that the ship had been carrying illegal immigrants were dismissed when the contents of the hold proved to be rotting fish. The ship was equipped for long-line fishing.
When the ship was first sighted five days before being boarded, its motor was running and it was underway. At the time of boarding, the engine was dead and the rudder was locked, causing the ship to drift in one direction.
The High Aim 6 was towed to Broome
, where subsequent forensic
examination was conducted. Despite a search of some 7300 nautical miles (13,519.6 km), no trace of crew was ever found.
, at the date of January 15 - after the boat was discovered - local calls were still being made from Indonesia using the cell phone of the boat engineer. After checking the call records, the Taiwanese police deemed a mutiny probable. Recruiting agencies in Indonesia were contacted and it appeared that 10 men had been recruited. The Indonesian police arrested the only member who could be tracked down, in the province of North Sulawesi
. According to his declaration, members of the crew had killed the captain and the engineer on December 8 and then proceeded to go back to their homeland. He never gave a clear explanation as to the motive and the details of the affair.
In the previous year, in a similar event, the Taiwanese fishing boat Hairisheng 6 (海日盛六號) was discovered empty by an Indonesian military boat. Three crew members were subsequently arrested (of a total of 10) and confessed to the murder of the captain and the engineer.
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
on 31 October 2002, and was then found without its crew, drifting in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n waters, on 8 January 2003. The owner of the ship, Tsai Huang Shueh-er, spoke last with the captain in December 2002. The vessel was registered in Taiwan and flew under an Indonesian flag.
While the only member of the Indonesian crew who could be tracked down admitted that the captain Chen Tai-cheng (陳泰成) and the engineer Lin Chung-li (林中立) had been murdered, what happened exactly and the motive for mutiny remain unclear.
Initial discovery
The vessel was found drifting in calm waters approximately 80 nautical miles (148.2 km) east of Rowley ShoalsRowley Shoals
The Rowley Shoals is a group of three atoll-like coral reefs south of the Timor Sea, about 260 km west of Broome on the northwestern Australian coast, centered around , on the edge of one of the widest continental shelves in the world. Each atoll covers an area of around 80 to 90 km² within the rim...
inside the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone. The crew was missing
Missing person
A missing person is a person who has disappeared for usually unknown reasons.Missing persons' photographs may be posted on bulletin boards, milk cartons, postcards, and websites, along with a phone number to be contacted if a sighting has been made....
. There was no evident reason for the abandonment: no signs of distress were found, and the crew's personal effects remained on board. The High Aim 6 had plenty of fuel and provisions and no sign of a struggle could be found. Initial concerns that the ship had been carrying illegal immigrants were dismissed when the contents of the hold proved to be rotting fish. The ship was equipped for long-line fishing.
When the ship was first sighted five days before being boarded, its motor was running and it was underway. At the time of boarding, the engine was dead and the rudder was locked, causing the ship to drift in one direction.
The High Aim 6 was towed to Broome
Broome
-Places:Australia*Broome, Western Australia**Attack on Broome **Broome Bird Observatory**Broome Bulls, Australian Rules football team**Broome International Airport**Broome Pearling Lugger Pidgin**Broome race riots of 1920**Broome Regional Prison...
, where subsequent forensic
Forensics
Forensic science is the application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to a legal system. This may be in relation to a crime or a civil action...
examination was conducted. Despite a search of some 7300 nautical miles (13,519.6 km), no trace of crew was ever found.
Probable mutiny
According to the Central News AgencyCentral News Agency (Republic of China)
The Central News Agency is the state news agency of the Republic of China. It was founded in Guangzhou, China on April 1, 1924 and was relocated to Taipei, Taiwan during the Chinese Civil War when the Republic of China government relocated to Taiwan....
, at the date of January 15 - after the boat was discovered - local calls were still being made from Indonesia using the cell phone of the boat engineer. After checking the call records, the Taiwanese police deemed a mutiny probable. Recruiting agencies in Indonesia were contacted and it appeared that 10 men had been recruited. The Indonesian police arrested the only member who could be tracked down, in the province of North Sulawesi
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
. According to his declaration, members of the crew had killed the captain and the engineer on December 8 and then proceeded to go back to their homeland. He never gave a clear explanation as to the motive and the details of the affair.
In the previous year, in a similar event, the Taiwanese fishing boat Hairisheng 6 (海日盛六號) was discovered empty by an Indonesian military boat. Three crew members were subsequently arrested (of a total of 10) and confessed to the murder of the captain and the engineer.