Kenyan security forces searching a Norwegian ship at Mombasa port have discovered undeclared weapons among the consignment of UN vehicles, the ship's Norwegian owner said today.
Kenya's government is trying to determine whether it was a UN agency transporting the weapons and why the arms were not disclosed in the cargo manifest, said Francis Wanjohi, the police chief in Mombasa. Twenty crew members of the vessel will be charged with illegal arms trafficking, he said.
Kenyan authorities searching the cargo found weapons inside some of the UN vehicles that had not been declared in the cargo manifest, Hoegh Autoliners said in a statement.
The shipping company said it believes the weapons belong to the UN vehicles in which they were found.
The company said its shipping contract clearly stated that no weapons should be transported. The consignment of vehicles was from Mumbai, India, and was destined for the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo.
Kenyan police spokesman Charles Owino said Wednesday an investigation is ongoing and a report will explain why police targeted the ship, the Hoegh Transporter.
