2024-07-05 01:19:11
Italian police and customs say they have seized two Chinese-made military drones that were bound for Libya hidden among wind turbine equipment.
The police and customs said in a joint statement on Tuesday that they found the two planes dismantled in six containers at the port of Gioia Tauro in southern Italy, and confiscated them because Libya is subject to an international arms embargo.
Italian media reported that the authorities seized the two planes on board a container ship coming from the port of Yantian in southern China, which was heading to the port of Benghazi, which is controlled by Khalifa Haftar.
The British newspaper, The Times, revealed that three containers loaded with weapons were seized on June 18 by officials at the port of Goia Tauro in southern Italy, after they were unloaded from the cargo ship MSC Arena, which had sailed from China.
The newspaper added that the police seized a second shipment of more than 3 suspicious containers last weekend on board another cargo ship called “MSC Apolline.”
The newspaper reported that the two planes were seized after receiving intelligence information from the United States.
The shipment was tracked after two Libyan men, Fathi bin Ahmed Mahouk and Mahmoud Mohammed Al-Suwaie Al-Sayeh, were charged in Canada in April with conspiring to arrange the purchase of Chinese drones in exchange for shipments of Libyan oil.
Source: Italian Police + The Times
2024-07-05 01:19:11