Cyprus police discover arms on cargo ship bound for Syrian port

Deutsche Presse Agentur
Published: Wednesday September 6, 2006

NicosiaCyprus police discovered a major arms cache on board a Panamanian-registered cargo ship they raided earlier in the day, news reports said Wednesday. The ship, Grigorio I, which contained illegal arms supplies, arrived from the Egyptian port of Port Said and was headed for the Syrian port of Latakia.

Special police forces raided the ship with a court order after receiving a tip off from Interpol.

Deputy Chief of Police, Yiorgos Aristidou, said that the purpose and origin of the cargo remained unknown, while the accompanying documentation was being thoroughly examined as it had specified a different cargo.

The eight members of the crew have been held by Cyprus police and officers of the Department of Merchant Shipping, while the ship's captain claimed the cargo contained meteorological equipment.

© 2006 DPA - Deutsche Presse-Agenteur