S.African Police Find Weapons Bound for Somalia

[Jacaylbaro]

JOHANNESBURG -- A shipment of guns bound for Somali pirate hunters was moved from Durban's port into a house outside the city under mysterious circumstances, South African police said Tuesday.

 

 

 

Police spokesman Vincent Mdunge said police had been tracking the shipment and that four people - two South Africans and two foreigners whose nationalities he would not disclose - were arrested last week after the guns were traced to the house outside the city in eastern South Africa.

 

 

 

Thirteen guns - eight assault rifles fitted with telescopic and silencing devices, two AK47s, two shot guns and a revolver - were found.

 

 

 

"There could have been other firearms that are still lying about somewhere," Mdunge said.

 

 

 

The four suspects were freed on bail after their Dec. 23 arrest and are next to appear in court Feb. 7.

 

 

 

Police were still trying to determine whether a port official helped move the weapons, and why they were moved. Mdunge would not name the shippers.

Mdunge said investigators believe the weapons were being sent to Somalia for use to fight pirates, but did not know whether the Somali government or a private company was the importer. It was unclear whether the shippers had the proper permits to send the weapons to Somalia, Mdunge said.

 

 

 

A private contractor is training 1,000 men for an anti-piracy force in Somalia's semiautonomous northern region of Puntland. U.S. officials say it is unclear who is funding the initiative, what its objectives are and whether it breaks a U.N. arms embargo on Somalia.

 

 

 

Uganda-based Saracen International has been identified as the contractor in a letter and a statement from Puntland's government and the Somali president's former chief of staff. But Bill Pelser, the chief executive of Saracen International, has denied his company is involved.

 

 

 

Contacted Tuesday, Pelser again denied involvement and said he was happy to hear of guns bound for Somalia being seized in South Africa.

[Jacaylbaro]

Source Here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/28/AR2010122800469.html

[Qodax Qorax]

Does the U.N. arms embargo on Somalia means nothing to those warmongers?

[AYOUB]

Veil of secrecy around Somali-bound arms

2010-12-28 22:42

 

Johannesburg - Police who seized a Somali-bound arms cache at a house near Durban won't say what the nationalities are of two foreigners who were arrested along with two South Africans.

 

Eight assault rifles fitted with telescopic and silencing devices, two AK-47s, two shotguns and a revolver were confiscated from a home near Durban.

 

Police had been tracking the shipment and four people were arrested in the December 23 raid and are out on bail, said SAPS spokesperson Vincent Mdunge on Tuesday.

 

Mdunge said they believed the arms were bound for Somalia to be used against pirates in a possible violation of a UN arms embargo.

 

He added that police were trying to determine whether a port official helped move the weapons.

The seizure follows weeks of speculation over a controversial programme involving an ex-CIA deputy station chief and a former US ambassador, to train and fund anti-piracy forces in Somalia.

 

Mdunge drew no link between the training programme and the arms seizure.

 

Anti-piracy programme

 

He would not name the shippers, but said investigators believe that the weapons were being sent to Somalia for use against pirates.

 

It was unclear whether the shippers had the proper permits to send the weapons to Somalia, Mdunge said, adding that he didn't know where the weapons were shipped from and whether they were destined for a private company or the Somali government.

 

The anarchic country's long coastline is dotted with havens of pirates who prey on vital shipping routes.

 

Those involved with the anti-piracy programme have refused to say who is funding it, other than that it is a Muslim country, but have repeatedly insisted no guns would be sent to Somalia in violation of the UN arms embargo.

 

Numerous Somali officials have identified Uganda-based Saracen International as the security contractor doing the training.

 

But Bill Pelser, the chief executive of Saracen International, has denied his company is involved and says it is another company of the same name registered in Lebanon.

 

Lebanese authorities say they have no record of such a company.

 

The four men detained in the raid are to appear in court on February 7.

 

 

- AP

[NGONGE]

Brilliant! Just like the case of the airplane in SL, there are not that many weapons found but the publicity is priceless.

(Somebody is not happy with Imam Farole).

[AYOUB]

^ Guess what; the threads about "weapons plane" have already been chewed by Faroole Jnr's goat. Did the silly billy goat think we wouldn't notice.

[NGONGE]

^^ War mala you didn't do a proper search.

[AYOUB]

Naah. Maybe they were "forgotten" in the old house we moved from.

[NGONGE]

^^ Maybe.

 

I only found this one:

http://www.somaliaonline.com/community/showthread.php/50118-Somaliland-president-appoints-a-committee-for-the-cargo-plane-carrying-weapons

[AYOUB]

^ lol I saw that one too. Was that posted after we moved, or does the goat know the Xaaji's garments are not to be messed with. Waar even some threads about Amir' s cartoon about the Imaam did not survive.

 

PS I've just received info that you were involved in the house-move so I don't trust even you, yaa Arabeto.

[NGONGE]

^^ I wasn't.

But I'm not too worried. What was lost can be 'retold'.

[AYOUB]

^ So you noticed? Not a good thing to get noticed mercenaries... I mean private security firms are involved you know;).

 

 

And if I don't see you no more in this world

I'll meet you on the next one

But don't be late,

Don't be late

'Cos I'm a Voodoo Child

God knows I'm a Voodoo Child

~ Jaamac Hendrix

[NGONGE]

^^ If it were done for that reason you've got to admit that it was a clever move (or bad one seeing that an entire site had to be redone).

[Qodax Qorax]

My thread about Piracy in Puntland also got "lost" and look what they have done to my original name. from 'Qarxis' to 'Qorax'.

[AYOUB]

NGONGE;683705 wrote:

^^ If it were done for that reason you've got to admit that it was a clever move (or bad one seeing that an entire site had to be redone).

Of course it was not done for "that reason". It was a case of never let a serious crisis go to waste. We call it burying the bad news. Filinka Fahan.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=aUCbVUo-w6k#t=70s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>

 

 

 

PS General Duke is flooding the forum again, I wonder why?