Norwegian ship released from Kenya port after suspected weapons were found to be part of UN mission

After almost a weekrsquos search the Norwegian vessel MV Hoegh carrying Indian Army trucks for USrsquo peacekeeping mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been released by the Kenya coastal police from the Mombasa port where it had been detainedAlso read Kenyan cops find drugs in ship carrying trucks from Mumbai for UN missionThe recovery was made from a Norwegianflagged vessel the Hoegh Transporter File Pic for representationThe vessel that had left Mumbai port on September 11 was intercepted on September 17 following a tipoff from the FBI During a search the Kenyan police had recovered white coloured powder suspected to be cocaine in the truck tyres There were also 30 odd weapons that had not been declared in the vesselrsquos manifestThe spokesperson of the United Nations Information Centre in Nairobi confirmed that the vessel has been released He added that the suspicious powder that was recovered on board was not a drug It is suspected that the powder was an antihumidity powder thatrsquos put around tyres for long shipmentsOn arrival at Mombasa on September 17 MV Hoegh was boarded by Kenyan authorities who had been told that there were illegal weapons and drugs aboard After a short search a consignment of handguns shipped by the United Nations from Mumbai to Mombasa in transit for the United Nations peacekeeping mission at Congo was foundThough the shipment was aboard the Hoegh Transporter the official manifest had no mention of either the powder or the weapons The vehicles had originally been loaded by Indian army personnel in MumbaiArmy officials here confirmed that the consignment of vehicles was dispatched with a detailed list of the consignment The Army however refused to be accountable for the recovery of additional weapons and equipmentAlso readUN says weapons narcotis on ship en route to Congo were not declared due to miscommunicationIt said that the Indian Army IA had handed over a consignment of 205 vehicles to the UN contracted merchant vessel with a detailed list of weapons and equipment ldquoAny further addition of weapons or any other material placed within the IA vehicles is not the responsibility of the IArdquo it had said in a statement Confirming the release of MV Hoegh in its press statement shipping company Hoegh Autoliners stated that Hoegh Transporter has continued her ocean voyage to South Africa West Africa and Mexico having suffered a delay of more than a weekWhile no crew member was arrested and no drugs were found on board a consignment of undeclared United Nations weapons was found The firm further stated ldquoIt is Hoegh Autolinerrsquos policy not to load weapons on vessels engaged in civilian traffic Had we been aware of the presence of guns inside this consignment of vehicles shipped by United Nations the cargo would have been neither booked nor loaded The fact that the vehicles contained guns which were loaded without our knowledge caused a breach of Kenyan laws and our own strict policies It is regrettable that a grave mistake on the part of the shipper has caused delays for other customers the crew and shiprdquo