KOLKATA: Mystery is intensifying over a Karachi-bound ship intercepted in the Hooghly waters of India with arms and ammunition.

The police, Cost Guard and customs searched the ship and found 40 Pakistani war vehicles, four army jeeps, and three containers of arms and ammunition marked ‘Pak’ on the containers.
The weapons include anti-aircraft launcher, smoke bomb and other explosives.

West Bengal Director-General of Police Bhupinder Singh said huge explosives were found in the ship.

“According to the captain, the ship slated to unload the military cargo at different ports of Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh to return weapons of the nations that participated in the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL),” said Singh

Customs officials were tallying weapons in the container with the list made by the security officials after interrogating ship`s captain, he added.

Meanwhile, the West Bengal Police contacted New York-based Movement Control officials of the UN Mission to get detailed information about the ship.

Police and secret-service officials are questioning 19 crews and members of the ship.  

Security agencies concerned and the ministries of external affairs, defense and home were alerted after the interception of the ship

BST 1814 HRS, June 27, 2010
RD/BK/ARF/SMS/MUA