Panama asks the UN to determine legality of transporting weapons from Cuba to North Korea

The Panamanian government requested technical experts from the United Nations (UN) to inspect the fuselages of two MiG-21 Bis fighters and other military equipment that were hidden under thousands of tons of sugar and were found in containers of a North Korean ship, which is being held in a Panama’s Caribbean coast port with hidden weapons from Cuba.

Cuba reported, regarding the arrest of the ship, that it had sailed from a port on the island with 10 000 metric tons of sugar and 240 tons of ancient defensive weapons to be overhauled in North Korea and then returned.

Among the weapons, the containers also had 15 engines of this type of equipment, as well as two units of Volga and Pechora anti-aircraft rockets and nine rockets on spare parts and pieces.

Panama’s judicial authorities have accused the crew of 35 North Koreans of attempting to pass undeclared marine weapons through the Panama Canal and have pressed charges for violating the collective security by transporting a dangerous military cargo.

The fuselages of two MiG-21 Bis fighters were hidden in containers under thousands of tons of sugar.