Customs authorities in Istanbul seized a radio-controlled missile and launcher as well as other weapons from a ship that was headed for Egypt from Ukraine, a government official said Thursday. The weapons, which also included a number of rockets and warheads, were discovered in two containers after customs officials searched the ship that had docked at the port of Ambarli, 20 miles from Istanbul, said Kursad Tuzmen, the minister in charge of foreign trade and customs. “The cargo declared by the ship’s captain did not match what was inside the containers,” Tuzmen told reporters after meeting with customs officials and paramilitary police at Ambarli. “There were military weapons inside.” “We can say that the weapons are the kind that we can describe as ‘sophisticated,'” he said. He did gave no further details on the quantity, nature of the weapons or on the missile’s range. Tuzmen said the ship’s captain had declared the ship was carrying spare parts. Officials became suspicious after noticing damage to numbers inscribed on the container, he said. Full Story
About OODA Analyst
OODA is comprised of a unique team of international experts capable of providing advanced intelligence and analysis, strategy and planning support, risk and threat management, training, decision support, crisis response, and security services to global corporations and governments.