Stolen jet engines found

The missing engines were discovered in Uruguay.

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.