TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (海巡署) reported on Tuesday (Feb. 25) that the detained Togolese cargo ship suspected of damaging a crucial undersea cable near Taiwan, identified as "Hongtai" (宏泰), allegedly severed the third submarine cable between Taiwan and Penghu.
The CGA received a report from Chunghwa Telecom (中華電信) about the cable breakage 6 nautical miles northwest of Jiangjun Fishing Port (將軍漁港) at 3 a.m. earlier today. The ship did not disrupt communications due to backup systems, and is now under investigation at Anping Port (安平港) in Tainan.
Authorities had already deployed the 10079 patrol boat to monitor the "Hongtai" before the report, suspecting its involvement. The vessel, which has a Chinese crew, failed to respond to seven radio broadcasts. The CGA, after intercepting the ship, escorted it to Anping Port for further investigation.
Officials noted discrepancies in the ship's identification, with its appearance and radio communications indicating "Hongtai 168," while the AIS system displayed "Hongtai 58."
