Detained North Korean ship returning to Cuba
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작성자 최고관리자 작성일14-03-13 11:28 조회4,249회 댓글0건관련링크
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Detained
North Korean ship returning to Cuba
Jamaica
Observer | Saturday, February 15, 2014 | 1:54 PM
PANAMA CITY, Panama
(AFP) — A North
Korean ship caught in July while trying to move undeclared Cuban weapons
through the Panama Canal left Saturday to return to Cuba, the Foreign Ministry
said.
The
Chong Chon Gang freighter departed from the Panamanian port of Colon with a
crew of 32 on its way back to Cuba, the ministry said in a statement.
The
ship got the green light last week to leave Panama after Pyongyang paid a fine
of nearly US$700,000.
Back
in July, en route from Cuba, the ship was stopped on suspicion of carrying
drugs as it tried to enter the canal, the busy waterway linking the Caribbean
and Pacific.
A
search by Panamanian authorities uncovered 25 containers of Cuban military
hardware, including two Soviet-era MiG-21 aircraft, air defence systems,
missiles, and command and control vehicles.
The
containers were concealed under more than 200,000 sacks of sugar.
Both
Havana and Pyongyang said the weapons were obsolete Cuban arms being shipped to
North Korea for refurbishment under a legitimate contract and due to be
returned to Cuba.
But
neither country explained why the shipment was hidden if it was indeed
legitimate.
The
seized cargo has remained in Panama pending a court ruling on what to do with
it.
The
foreign ministry said that once the vessel arrives in Havana, it will be loaded
with a shipment of sugar destined for North Korea.
Last
month Panamanian authorities dropped charges against 32 of the 35 North Korean
crew members.
The
remaining three -- the vessel's captain, first officer and political secretary
-- are still in custody in Panama, facing trial on arms trafficking charges.
The
sailors on their way to Cuba "are happy because this affair in which they
have lost seven months of their lives has finally come to an end," said a
lawyer for the crew, Julio Berrios. He said they felt their long detention was
unjust.
Panama
asked the United Nations to send a mission to determine if the attempted
shipment violated a UN embargo on arms deliveries to North Korea.
The
results of the mission's probe have not been made public. But Panamanian
authorities say the UN team's report confirms the cargo definitely violated the
embargo.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/North-Korean-ship-seized-with-arms-returning-to-Cuba
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