NK ship Carrying Cuban Weapons Intercepted in Panama

[airboy]

A North Korean ship was apparently forcibly boarded in transit at the Panama Canal carrying weapons from Cuba to NK.  The weapons were Surface to Air missiles on first reporting.  They were detected during a drug search.  Primary cargo was brown sugar.

Story can be found at:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/16/world/panama-north-korean-ship/

[LongBlade]

Saw that.

The news story I read was that Panama initially got a report of drugs on board, but after boarding figured out what was really going on.

The entire crew was arrested, and the captain was reported to have attempted suicide. Bad day to be a Nork smuggler with your goods confiscated I guess.

[TheCommandTent]

Good catch by the Panama authorities.

[LongBlade]

Good catch by the Panama authorities.

I'll bet ya a dollar they got some help from the Norte Americanos.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

BBC said the ship was coming from eastern Russia with destination Cuba. I doubt the Cubans are making missiles.

[airboy]

Long story in the Wall St. Journal today.  Weapons were old Soviet SA-2 (same general system that shot down Garry Powers U-2).  US caught the weapons being shipped and asked Panama to intervene.  Panama did and we get this result.  The "search for drugs" was a ploy to inspect the ship.

The crew rioted and the captain tried to suicide.  Both crew and captain were apprehended.  They did have to cut the anchor chains and attach tugs to force it into dock.

There was speculation that the SA-2s were being shipped to NK to be upgraded.  Supposidly the NKs have a lot of expertese upgrading old weapons systems to make them more useful. 

There is a lot of discussion that this would set back US-Cuban relations and have no effect on the NKs.  The lack of impact on the North Koreans is because they are already an international pariah. 

Panama has called in a United Nations inspection team.

[bayonetbrant]

Cuba and Norks are trying to make it sound like a routine shipment of obselete scrap

if that's the case, why hide it under a cargo hold of sugar?

[LongBlade]

Because it's finger-lickin' good?

[OJsDad]

How long before we're told the NSA Prism program is to thank for finding this.

[GDS_Starfury]

Cuba and Norks are trying to make it sound like a routine shipment of obselete scrap

if that's the case, why hide it under a cargo hold of sugar?

the sugar was the Cuban payment for upgrading the sam's.   duh

[LongBlade]

How long before we're told the NSA Prism program is to thank for finding this.

Nah. The satellite boys caught this one.

But I agree - it wouldn't surprise me if they tried to take credit for it.

[TheCommandTent]

Apparently more than just weapons were on the ship...

COLON, Panama (Reuters) - Panamanian investigators unloading the cargo of a seized North Korean ship that carried arms from Cuba have found the two MiG-21 fighter jets the Cuban government had said were on board, the government said on Sunday.

Alongside the two supersonic planes, originally produced by the Soviet Union in the late 1950s, officials found two missile radar systems on board the Chong Chon Gang, President Ricardo Martinelli told reporters in the Atlantic port of Colon.

The discovery, which included cables and electrical equipment, was made inside containers on the ship Panama had feared might contain explosive material. None was found.

After stopping the vessel bound for North Korea last week, Panama revealed it had found weapons in the cargo hold late on Monday. In response, Cuba said the shipment contained a range of "obsolete" arms being sent to North Korea for repair.
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Panamaian forensic worker carries out investigations ...
A Panamaian forensic worker carries out investigations on a container holding an object in the shape ...

Panama has asked the U.N. Security Council to investigate the ship and its contents amid suspicion that the vessel is in breach of a wide-ranging arms embargo on North Korea for its nuclear and ballistic missile program.

http://news.yahoo.com/panama-finds-mig-fighter-jets-north-korean-arms-235241780.html

[GDS_Starfury]

OMG  MiG-21s    ::)

[LongBlade]

I had read a report that the Cubans claimed it was all obsolete equipment. But that same report said the norms were good at improving on old stuff.

Hmmm

[GDS_Starfury]

improving Sa-2s and Mig-21s....

dude... gimmi $3000 and I will totally rock out your Pinto!