The specialized penal court in Yemen’s Hadramout province started on Monday the trial of three foreigners accused of bringing 179 tonnes of explosives and ammunitions to the Mukalla port in December, the state news agency Saba reported.
At the hearing, the court accused the three- the captain, a marine officer and a chief engineer- who hold the Albanian nationality, of roaming the sea for five months passing in the Yemeni territorial waters onboard a Maldivian-flagged ship which was carrying about 179 tonnes of explosives and ammunitions.
The ship docked at the Mukalla port to refuel on December 18 and was seized after the defendants lied to the authorities and gave untrue information about the explosives cargo onboard the ship, according to Saba.
The authorities said the cargo was shipped for suspicious or illegal groups in the country to expos the public safety and peace and one of the country’s ports to danger.
In recent months, Yemen has seized several arms cargoes including pistols and other equipment which were produced and shipped in Turkey and China.
Reports have surfaced the cargoes were shipped for violent groups in the country which has been fighting Al-Qaeda since 2009.
The seizures come amid alarming security disorder and political stalemate just as the country is continuing the implementation of a West-backed power-transfer deal which was reached after the 2011 unrest.
cheat on my husband
online catch a cheater