Fugitive treasure hunter wanted

[Alexandre]

Apr 30, 2010
Fugitive treasure hunter wanted
JAKARTA - INDONESIAN police said on Friday they had barred undersea treasure hunter Michael Hatcher from leaving the country and declared him a fugitive.

'We have banned him from travelling overseas since Thursday because he stole those treasures. The police are still trying to ascertain his whereabouts,' national chief detective Ito Sumardi said. Officials said on Thursday that they had 'strong indications' that Hatcher had been conducting illegal salvage work on a wreck in the Java Strait north of Jakarta.

Some 2,360 pieces of porcelain were seized on the ships that were intercepted in waters off West Java in September. Hatcher could be jailed for five years and fined 50 million rupiah (S$7590) if found guilty.

The treasure hunter has excavated shipwrecks in Indonesia since the mid-1980s, when officials said he made US$17 million (S$23.3 million) from auctioning gold ingots and Chinese porcelain salvaged from a wreck found off the Riau islands.

They said he had already begun to market items from his latest wreck. The hunt for Hatcher comes as the government prepares to conduct an auction for some 270,000 pieces of ancient treasure ranging from Tunisia and Egypt to India and China that was found on a wreck in the Java Strait in 2003. -- AFP



http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_521042.html

 

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[itmaiden]

India probably has the most interesting historical wrecks in the world. I do think some missing pieces of world history could be gained from their wrecks. But would India objectively share that history ?

itmaiden

Apr 30, 2010
Fugitive treasure hunter wanted
JAKARTA - INDONESIAN police said on Friday they had barred undersea treasure hunter Michael Hatcher from leaving the country and declared him a fugitive.

'We have banned him from travelling overseas since Thursday because he stole those treasures. The police are still trying to ascertain his whereabouts,' national chief detective Ito Sumardi said. Officials said on Thursday that they had 'strong indications' that Hatcher had been conducting illegal salvage work on a wreck in the Java Strait north of Jakarta.




http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_521042.html

 

[OldGold74]

Indonesia Good Sir, not India with ref to this topic, however as opinion yes India must have great history beneath its waters...

 

[ivan salis]

with corruption as rampant as it is in indonesia (trust me I have been there and seen it in "action" first hand )-- he can easily buy his way to singapore via a small sampan type vessel and get gone

 

[Alexandre]

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/police-hunt-fugitive-treasure-hunter/372312

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article7113273.ece#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=797093

 

[jeff k]

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/treasure-hunter-says-charges-politically-motivated/372783

 

[Salvor6]

The truth comes out; Hatcher is salvaging the wrecks legally but the corupt govt. officials are mad that they didn't get their bribe money.

 

[wrecker]

The truth comes out; Hatcher is salvaging the wrecks legally but the corupt govt. officials are mad that they didn't get their bribe money.


Yeah- That sounds more like it!

 

[itmaiden]

Been on too much pain killer lately. Can't believe I did that. Yes, I do that too much.

Thanks for the correction. But same thing. Indonesia is part of the oldest trading routes. By the way, I overlooked Indonesia as India, however, you overlooked the "maiden" in itmaiden, and called me a sir. No sorry, not of that persuasion. Last I checked I was still female. There are women on the board, many lurk.

itmaiden

Indonesia Good Sir, not India with ref to this topic, however as opinion yes India must have great history beneath its waters...

 

[psdiver]

http://www.france24.com/en/20100502-ancient-treasures-set-auction-indonesia

 

[itmaiden]

Interesting how the 10th Century Chinese Yue Mise pot resembles the "monster sea creatures" often seen on ancient maps. Could the symbols been an indication of Chinese trade good routes ?

itmaiden

http://www.france24.com/en/20100502-ancient-treasures-set-auction-indonesia

 

[ivan salis]

when the LNG tanker vessel that I worked upon that came to indonesia on a regular basis "arrived" --it had to have in addition to the "legally required fees" -- the "illegally" required fees" of several cartons of cigarettes --(had to be marlboro "reds" no other brand would do )-- plus several cans of evaporated milk --cans of coffee and freeze dried coffee -- and costly "imported" fruits --apples , pears and such plus a "spread of foods " that had to be set out for the "officals" to feast upon when they came to the vessel --all of which if not eat right away was packed up and taken away when they left -- the "vermin control" officers while "inspecting" your storerooms for "rats and bugs" often took "samples" to inspect from our stores --of course to object to the shake down --meant that the "needed" stamps to enter port would be withheld until they saw "fit" to give them --ie basically after you kissed their butt and paided even more "grease" for the insult of attempting to stop their shakedown. --- nothing was ever "offically" done ever to my knowledge without "additional" payment being made --since the "officals" in indonesia --buy their "jobs" --they feel perfectly "entitled" to use their jobs and titles to "squeeze" you into paying them .

since I was the headman in charge of food on the LNG vessel -- I had to note all the "gifts" and "samples" taken from our storerooms and prepare the food spread for them.

about all of the indonesians are muslim ---for a muslim to rob or defraud a non muslim is A ok in most of their eyes as non muslims are "infedials" --(and since most "foreigners" are non muslims) screwing foreigners is perfectly ok to do ,
being dirt poor for the most part helps them jusifty it as well --they got plenty --I need stuff.

 

[itmaiden]

Interesting. Thank you for sharing. I have a relative that got caught up in a business deal with someone in Indonesia. Even though the relative served in the Navy and had exposure to many countries he was still very naive.
Not too long ago, he shipped a bunch of merchandise to Indonesia on the "Honor System" expecting payment to be sent back after the goods were received. Well end of story.

itmaiden

when the LNG tanker vessel that I worked upon that came to indonesia on a regular basis "arrived" --it had to have in addition to the "legally required fees" -- the "illegally" required fees" of several cartons of cigarettes --(had to be marlboro "reds" no other brand would do )-- plus several cans of evaporated milk --cans of coffee and freeze dried coffee -- and costly "imported" fruits --apples , pears and such plus a "spread of foods " that had to be set out for the "officals" to feast upon when they came to the vessel --all of which if not eat right away was packed up and taken away when they left -- the "vermin control" officers while "inspecting" your storerooms for "rats and bugs" often took "samples" to inspect form our stores --of course to object to the shake down --meant that the "needed" stamps to enter port would be withheld until they saw "fit" to give them --ie basically after you kissed their butt and paided even more "grease" for the insult of attempting to stop their shakedown. --- nothing was ever "offically" done ever to my knowledge without "additional" payment being made --since the "officals" in indonesia --buy their "jobs" --they feel perfectly "entitled" to use their jobs and titles to "squeeze" you into paying them .

since I was the headman in charge of food on the LNG vessel -- I had to note all the "gifts" and "samples" taken from our storerooms and prepare the food spread for them.

 

[ivan salis]

oh the old "be my freind" and we will go into bussiness together bit ---lol --a tried and true indonesian "racket" con job -- they will stay --since I'm muslim --I can not steal ( of course they fail to say --"from another muslim" * but by muslim law non muslim believers are A OK to steal from) since they are in fact " your enemy" -- hes thinking all the while your lucky I'm just stealing your goods from you and not killing you instead.

 

[Trond]

oh the old "be my freind" and we will go into bussiness together bit ---lol --a tried and true indonesian "racket" con job -- they will stay --since I'm muslim --I can not steal ( of course they fail to say --"from another muslim" * but by muslim law non muslim believers are A OK to steal from) since they are in fact " your enemy" -- hes thinking all the while your lucky I'm just stealing your goods from you and not killing you instead.

Hehe, golden words. Do you mind if i print them out and put them on my wall?

 

[ivan salis]

sure go ahead -- folks that have not "been" there and done "that" --have no clue how things work in indonesia -- its as twisted and corrupt as they come , when dealing with "foreigners" not of the muslim faith. -- trust me on this one --been there , done that.