Panama finds weapons hidden in N. Korean ship

PanARMENIAN.Net - Panamanian security forces searching a North Korean ship detained for illegally carrying weapons have found two military jet fuselages.

The ship was seized last week after police found undeclared military cargo hidden under bags of sugar in its hold.

Cuba said it had sent the weapons to North Korea for repairs.

Panama has asked the UN to investigate whether there has been a breach of the sanctions against North Korea, which ban the supply of arms to Pyongyang.

Prosecutor Javier Caraballo said that "in the containers that we've opened up to now, we have found two fuselages of MiG-21 jets. We've also found some anti-aircraft radars, of the type to launch anti-aircraft weapons".

The Chong Chon Gang was stopped on July 15 on suspicion of carrying drugs, but instead police found military material on board.

The authorities in Havana admitted being behind the stash, saying they were Soviet-era arms from Cuba headed for repair in North Korea.

They said that the ship was carrying 240 tons of "obsolete" defensive weapons, including two anti-aircraft missile complexes, nine missiles in parts and spares, two MiG-21bis fighter planes and 15 MiG engines.

Panama's Attorney General Ana Belfon said the jet fuselages still smelled of fuel.

Officials said seven containers had been unloaded and opened so far, but they suspected more were still hidden underneath the ship's official cargo of 10,000 tons of sugar.

Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli said that there appeared to be 27 containers on board. Security Minister Javier Mulino said a team of more than 300 people had been working around the clock to remove the bags of sugar under which the containers were concealed.

The 35-strong North Korean crew have been charged with endangering Panama's internal security.

The Chong Chon Gang left Russia's far east on April 12 and travelled across the Pacific Ocean before entering the canal at the start of June, with Cuba as its stated destination.

The ship disappeared from satellite tracking systems after it left the Caribbean side of the canal, resurfacing on July 11.

Experts say this may indicate that the crew switched off the system that automatically communicates details of their location.

It was stopped near Manzanillo on the Atlantic side of the canal on July 15.

Panama says experts from the United Nations Security Council will arrive on August 5 to inspect the weapons.

Under UN sanctions, the supply of arms to North Korea is prohibited in the dispute over its controversial nuclear program.