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'Normal' to transport missiles amid oranges, Greek defence ministry
Bari, Italy/Athens, Greece -Two high-tech, air-to-air missiles hidden amongst crates of oranges, and which Italian customs police seized from a truck in the Italian port of Bari, were not part of an illicit arms deal, reports said Wednesday. The arms had never been destined to arm dangerous terrorists or for other illegal activities, the reports added.
The Greek defence ministry said the missiles were being transported following "very normal" procedures explaining that they had been shipped from a military base in Greece to Hamburg, Germany for maintenance work.
The decision to transport the missiles - first by ferry to Italy and then overland to Germany - without declaring them to customs and to conceal them amongst the oranges may have been an attempt to avoid paying duty charges, Italian news reports said.
For now the missiles - both US-developed AIM-120 models with a range of more than 30 kilometres - remain in Italian hands, while the "orange" truck's two drivers, both German nationals, are being held on suspicion of unlawful transport of arms.
The Greek defence ministry said the missiles were being transported following "very normal" procedures explaining that they had been shipped from a military base in Greece to Hamburg, Germany for maintenance work.
The decision to transport the missiles - first by ferry to Italy and then overland to Germany - without declaring them to customs and to conceal them amongst the oranges may have been an attempt to avoid paying duty charges, Italian news reports said.
For now the missiles - both US-developed AIM-120 models with a range of more than 30 kilometres - remain in Italian hands, while the "orange" truck's two drivers, both German nationals, are being held on suspicion of unlawful transport of arms.
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