Italy’s largest container port has been used to smuggle arms parts to Libya, reveals an inspection of the ship MSC Arina, according to ShippingWatch.
An inspection of the container ship MSC Arina in June by Italian authorities found parts for drones in six containers that could be used as weapons, writes Jyllands-Posten with reference to Italian media.
Cache of weapons
Whereas Italian police and customs authorities confirmed they seized a cache of weapons and two drones designed for military use from containers being transported through Italy on an MSC vessel. The incident began in mid-June with the authorities stopping containers for investigation,
Bound for Libya
The initial reports in June said the forces of Guardia di Finanza and the Customs Office had found weapons hidden in a container that was bound for Libya. At the time, the Italian media said the materials were going to Benghazi and likely destined for the forces of Libyan strongman and military leader Khalifa Haftar.
Port of Gioia Tauro
The containers were identified as being aboard the MSC Arina, one of the carrier’s giant vessels. At 255,000 dwt, the Panama-flagged vessel carries over 23,600 TEU. Reports said officials from the United States had tipped off the Italian authorities asking for the containers to be seized. The boxes were moving through the port of Gioia Tauro.
Six containers coming from China
The initial report only said that millions of dollars of weapons had been discovered. The Italians provided additional details saying that six containers coming from China were identified and intercepted. They performed an initial X-ray scan and later decided the boxes required additional investigation. They noted that anomalies in the customs documentation for the containers raised additional suspicions.
Fuselage and wings of flight
Items contained in the shipment were identified as component parts of wind turbines, but on closer inspection, the Italian authorities determined they were parts of the fuselage and wings of flight-ready drones for military use.
Wind turbine blades.
The components were concealed among other composite materials that appeared to be elements for wind turbine blades. The report said the authorities believed this was done to conceal the items during routine customs inspections.
UN Security Council embargo
The Italian authorities provided pictures of the reassembled drones. They said that the two aircraft each were over three tons. They have a length of nearly 33 feet and a 66-foot wingspan.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office of Palmi arranged for the seizure of the items citing the UN Security Council embargo as well as national and EU regulations to prevent the shipment of weapons to Libya. The incident is being called elements of suspected international arms trafficking and is being investigated.
US intelligence sources
According to Jyllands-Posten, it was precisely this connection that prompted US intelligence sources to sound the alarm and ask the Italian authorities to intervene. It happened on June 18 against the container ship MSC Arina. The ship, which is operated by the world’s largest container carrier MSC, was allowed to continue sailing after the inspection, according to the media outlet.
