The missing engines were discovered in Uruguay.
by Malaysia Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 — Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail has tonight confirmed that the stolen F-5E engines have been located in Uruguay.
The attorney-general, in a statement, said the engines were discovered in the South American country following co-operation from the authorities there.
Expressing his gratitude over the assistance rendered by the Uruguayan officials in helping bring an end to the case of the stolen engines, Gani said that the two countries will continue to work closely to enable the return of the engines to Malaysia.
The two F-5E jet engines were stolen in 2007 and discovered missing one year later, before a police report was lodged.
RMAF Sergeant N. Tharmendran and company director Rajandran Prasad were charged early this month in connection with the theft.
Malaysia bought 14 F-5Es in 1974 and decommissioned them in 1999. One crashed in the Malacca Straits near Perak on May 31, 1995.
Only six of the jets remain operational after they came back to service in 2003.
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Dear all,
ReplyDeletefor this topic above, it is close to my heart because of my personal experience in having to serve in the airforce and also F-5E/F was the aircraft that my father flew and was the squadron leader in the 1980s.
I was there when the 2nd batch arrive in B'worth airbase in 1980. The Malaysian govt paid about USD 2.11 million per aircraft in 1974 and not USD 50.0 million per engine as reported in the MSM. This was however been "politicize" by the Opposition to make the present Govt look incompetent. Well, it could have happened to anyone, it is just happened to be during their watch.
It was reported that the engine initially was bound to be sent to a local aircraft maintenance facility where I used to work after leaving the airforce but it never arrived there. The engines however found there way to Argentina, and later was transported to Uruguay.
Well done RMAF, let us close this chapter and never let this happened again that would tarnish our impeccable record in defending the nation airspace.