69 Patriot Missiles Found on Ship; Listed as Fireworks on the Manifest

[jimmy olsen]

Covert shipment to Taiwan from S. Korea perhaps?

http://yle.fi/uutiset/news/2011/12/missile_shipment_confirmed_aboard_detained_vessel_3120008.html

Missile shipment confirmed aboard detained vessel
published Tue Dec 20 08:21 PM, updated yesterday Dec 21 08:48 PM

A British cargo vessel detained at Kotka harbour has been found to be carrying a shipment of American-made Patriot missiles. According to information received by YLE, the missile shipment originated in Germany and is destined for South Korea. Onboard the ship are 69 of the missiles with their explosive warheads and propelling charges.

The National Bureau of Investigation confirmed Wednesday afternoon that the missiles are onboard the ship.

Both the missiles and a cargo of explosives were en route from Germany to South Korea. According to press reports, the ship made port in Finland to pick up a consignment of anchor chain for delivery to China.

Officials stopped the M/S Thor Liberty last week as its cargo of explosives had been stored incorrectly. The ship is carrying 150 tonnes of the explosive nitroguanidine. The material is in 25 kg packages some of which was found to be damaged. Because of the characteristics of nitroguanidine, the material should be carried in shipping containers.

In the course of inspection, it was also found that the cargo included a shipment of military missiles.

Missiles seized

An investigation was launched and it was determined that while not contraband, the proper transit permits for the shipment are inadequate or missing.

The National Bureau of Investigation and Finnish Customs are jointly investigating the incident as a case of export violations and violations of martime safety regulations. The captain and first mate of the Ukranian crew are to be questioned as suspects.

The explosives onboard are to be re-packed in transport containers on Friday. The Patriot missiles are being impounded and Customs has requested assistance from the Defense Forces in storing the missiles until their origin and destination can be confirmed.

Also
http://yle.fi/uutiset/news/2011/12/missile_shipment_confirmed_aboard_detained_vessel_3120008.html
Missiles listed as "fireworks" on ship manifest
published yesterday Dec 21 08:48 PM

According to Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen, the cargo manifest of the M/S Thor Liberty on which 69 Patriot ground-to-air missiles were found, listed the weapons as "fireworks". She said that documents associated with the containers holding the missiles carried the name of a South Korean individual.

The vessel which sails under the flag of the Isle of Man, was known to be carrying 150 tonnes of legal explosives. These, however, were being transported in an unsafe manner.

In addition to the explosives, officials discovered American-made Patriot missiles which were listed on the cargo manifest as fireworks. According to the Minister of the Interior, there has been no transit permit issued for the missiles by the Finnish Defense Forces.

She added that there is no indication that the cargo posed a danger to the port or the local population. However, if the cargo of anchor chain that the ship came to Finland to pick up had been loaded, a seriously dangerous situation could have arisen.

According to Räsänen the cargo vessel will be moved to one of the port's remote docks for reloading during the Christmas period when traffic is low. When permission for the explosives to be taken out of the country is given, the vessel will continue on to China. What will happen to the Patriot missiles is still undecided.

The missiles have been turned over to the Finnish Defense Forces.

The Interior Minister said that German police have been contacted in connection with the investigation.

YLE

[Darth Wagtaros]

Dammit.

[Martinus]

Uhm, 4th of July? Hello? Patriots with fireworks. 

[Syt]

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/22/world/europe/finland-ship-missiles/index.html

(CNN) -- Patriot missiles found on a ship bound for Asia were being sent legally, a source told CNN Thursday.

Finnish authorities had discovered and seized the shipment for investigation.

The weapons were being sent to South Korea, a customs official familiar with the case told CNN.

"The exporters had all necessary permissions, including an export authorization and a special authorization for the export of war weapons," the source said. "The ship departed from the German port of Emden."

Finnish authorities said Wednesday they had impounded the 69 Patriot missiles.

Police said they also found explosives and propelling charges aboard the British-flagged cargo ship Thor Liberty at the port of Kotka, about 75 miles east of Helsinki.

Police said the shipment was headed for Shanghai, China, but the source said its ultimate destination was South Korea.

The Patriot is a surface-to-air missile system manufactured by the U.S. company Raytheon and has been sold to various nations.

Finnish authorities found the defense materials during a customs search.

In a statement, Finland's National Bureau of Investigation said that on Wednesday evening, "customs apprehended two persons on a suspicion of an export offense" involving "defense supplies."

Defense forces were asked to assist in securing and guarding the materials, the bureau said.

I think it's harmless. It's not like when we shipped tanks to Israel and labelled them "farming equipment".

[KRonn]

I first read this as the missiles going to North Korea! I was going to say WTF?! Part of the inauguration party for then new Dear Leader?   

[Solmyr]

I first read this as the missiles going to North Korea! I was going to say WTF?! Part of the inauguration party for then new Dear Leader?   

They wouldn't bother with ships for that, they'd send them directly.

[Josephus]

I first read this as the missiles going to North Korea! I was going to say WTF?! Part of the inauguration party for then new Dear Leader?   

They wouldn't bother with ships for that, they'd send them directly.

Did you ever see the potholes on those Korean highways. Waters are safer.

[Syt]

Austrian media now says that the whole thing was a translation error. All papers were in order, but the Finns understood the declared "rockets" as "fireworks rockets", and therefore impounded the ship.

[Razgovory]

 

[Berkut]

I would imagine it is fairly routine to list military hardware as something vague or even misleading on shipping documents.

[Darth Wagtaros]

This is better. I am all in favor of shipping them missiles. But I feared some massive incompetence was at foot.