Panama: fighter jets found on NK ship
Source: Agencies |
July 23, 2013, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
PANAMANIAN investigators unloading the cargo of a seized North Korean ship that carried arms from Cuba have found the two MiG-21 fighter jets the Cuban government had said were on board.
Alongside the two supersonic planes, originally made by the Soviet Union in the late 1950s, officials found two missile radar systems on board the Chong Chon Gang, President Ricardo Martinelli said on Sunday.
The discovery was made inside containers on the ship Panama had feared might contain explosive material. None was found.
After stopping the vessel bound for North Korea last week, Panama revealed it had found weapons under sacks of sugar. Cuba responded that the shipment was a range of "obsolete" arms being sent to North Korea for repair.
Panama has asked the UN Security Council to investigate the ship and its contents amid suspicion that the vessel is in breach of a wide-ranging arms embargo on North Korea for its nuclear and ballistic missile program.
"One can't take undeclared weapons through the Panama Canal below other cargo," Martinelli said, adding that he had not spoken to any Cuban officials since they first asked for the ship to be released last Saturday.
Javier Caraballo, Panama's top anti-drugs prosecutor, said the planes gave off a strong odor of gasoline, indicating that they had likely been used recently.
North Korea has asked Panama to release the ship and its 35 member crew. Panama has so far dismissed North Korea's requests.
Alongside the two supersonic planes, originally made by the Soviet Union in the late 1950s, officials found two missile radar systems on board the Chong Chon Gang, President Ricardo Martinelli said on Sunday.
The discovery was made inside containers on the ship Panama had feared might contain explosive material. None was found.
After stopping the vessel bound for North Korea last week, Panama revealed it had found weapons under sacks of sugar. Cuba responded that the shipment was a range of "obsolete" arms being sent to North Korea for repair.
Panama has asked the UN Security Council to investigate the ship and its contents amid suspicion that the vessel is in breach of a wide-ranging arms embargo on North Korea for its nuclear and ballistic missile program.
"One can't take undeclared weapons through the Panama Canal below other cargo," Martinelli said, adding that he had not spoken to any Cuban officials since they first asked for the ship to be released last Saturday.
Javier Caraballo, Panama's top anti-drugs prosecutor, said the planes gave off a strong odor of gasoline, indicating that they had likely been used recently.
North Korea has asked Panama to release the ship and its 35 member crew. Panama has so far dismissed North Korea's requests.
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