KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- An oil tanker reported missing in Malaysian waters was not hijacked and has been found, Malaysian officials said Wednesday.
Initial investigations indicated that the missing of oil tanker MT Vier Harmoni was closely linked to "internal problems" among its owner, the company that rents the vessel and the crew, said Mohd Taha Bin Ibrahim, director of exercise and enforcement of Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).
The tanker was registered in Batam Islands, Indonesia and was on lease to a Malaysian company, he said in a statement, adding that all 10 crew members are Indonesians.
The captain of the tanker has been contacted around noon on Wednesday and the tanker was on the way to Batam Islands with all crew members safe.
MMEA has launched search operations following reports that the tanker has gone missing since Tuesday after leaving a port in Malaysia's southern state of Johor. It was carrying 900,000 liters of diesel worth 1.57 million ringgit (390,000 U.S. dollars).
The local Star newspaper reported that the tanker could have been deliberately taken off its course due to a commercial dispute. Mohd Taha said his agency would further investigate to find out the cause of the incident.
