Dismissing reports that arms and drugs were shipped in a consignment of trucks for Indian peacekeepers in Congo as a "misunderstanding", the UN has said the weapons were part of declared contingent-owned equipment and a white substance found on board was anti-humidity powder.
The UN reaction came in response to reports stating that the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has opened an investigation into the discovery of assault weapons and narcotics hidden amidst a consignment of trucks being shipped from Mumbai to Indian Army peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Asked about the reports, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric said, "There was a ship, in fact, that did come from Mumbai to Mombasa carrying contingent-owned equipment for the Indian peacekeeping units serving in MONUSCO. Weapons were found by the Kenyan authorities as part of legitimate and declared contingent- owned equipment. The investigation is ongoing."
"What it looks like may very well have happened is that the weapons were declared in the bill of landing provided by the shipper, but...That part was not transferred to the manifest. What often happens, when APC's, armoured personnel carriers, are shipped is that the weapons that are on the outside of the vehicles are transferred for safe keeping inside the vehicle," he said.
Dujarric stated that as of now it looks like a "clerical error" where information on the bill of landing was correctly registered but was not transferred to the ship's manifest by the ship's owners.
"We're obviously cooperating fully with the Kenyan authorities, but I don't think there's any...You know, this appears to be a misunderstanding. We're trying to get to the bottom of it," he said.
On the alleged narcotics being found in the consignment, Dujarric said, "On the issue of white powder that was found around the vehicles, that is indeed the case. The Kenyan authorities are checking. Again, from what we understand from Mumbai and from the shippers is that often, on new vehicles, there's some...What do you call it?...Anti-humidity powder that's put around tires for long shipments, which is a white powder."
"So, anyway, the Kenyan authorities are doing tests, and we're obviously cooperating fully with the Indians," he said.
Earlier in the day, the Indian Army in a statement said, "IA had handed over a consignment of 205 vehicles including 36 APCs (BMPs) with inherent weapons to UN contracted Merchant Vessel (for end to end delivery) at Mumbai on September 11 2015 with detailed list of weapons and equipment."
"Any further addition of weapons or any other material placed within the IA vehicles is not responsibility of the IA. The issue has been taken up with UN HQ & Mission HQ at DRC and it is being progressed further by the UN," it said.
