December 22, 2011

Finland impounds shipment of Patriot missiles, explosives in ship destined for Shanghai

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/finnish-police-find-shipment-of-patriot-missiles-in-ship-destined-for-shanghai/2011/12/21/gIQA1sEA9O_story.html




(Kimmo Mäntylä, Lehtikuva/Associated Press) - Cargo ship M/S Thor Liberty at the Mussalo harbour in Kotka, Finland Wednesday Dec. 21 2011. Finnish customs found 69 Patriot surface to air missiles on the British flagged ship, destined for the Chinese port of Shanghai from Germany. Police and customs officials are investigating whether the shipment broke Finnish laws on weapons trading.


HELSINKI — Finnish authorities on Wednesday impounded 160 tons of explosives and 69 surface-to-air missiles found on a British-flagged cargo ship ultimately destined for Shanghai, China, officials said.

The M/S Thor Liberty sailed from the north German port of Emden on Dec. 13 and two days later docked in Kotka, southern Finland, to pick up a cargo of anchor chains, Finnish Customs spokesman Petri Lounatmaa said.
Investigating officers didn’t know the origin of the Patriot missiles or who was supposed to receive them, he said.

“We have impounded the explosives and missiles and asked the Defense Ministry to transport and store them,” Lounatmaa said. “At this stage we don’t know where it (the cargo) was loaded on the ship or if the Thor Liberty planned a drop before its port of destination in China.”

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