Global Security Newswire

Two Ukrainian nationals have been taken into custody from a ship found at a port in Finland to be carrying 69 Patriot missiles and 160 tons of explosive material, the Associated Press reported on Thursday (see GSN, Dec. 21).

The men, the vessel's captain and first mate, were detained on suspicion of violating arms trade regulations in Finland, according to Detective Superintendent Timo Virtanen of the National Bureau of Investigation. "The missiles did not have the appropriate transit papers," he said.

The other 11 crew members, who are also from Ukraine, are being interviewed, Virtanen said.

Finnish authorities have not said where the air- and missile-defense missiles and explosives appeared to be heading. Previous reports indicated the British-flagged M/S Thor Liberty had stopped at the port in Kotka on its way to Shanghai, China. The vessel had been in port in northern Germany before leaving for Finland, AP reported on Thursday (Associated Press/Yahoo!News, Dec. 22).

The German Defense Ministry on Thursday said the confiscated Patriot missiles were being shipped to South Korea under a bilateral deal between Berlin and Seoul, CNN reported.

"The exporters had all necessary permissions, including an export authorization and a special authorization for the export of war weapons," a customs source said (CNN, Dec. 22).