Panama finds explosives on North Korea-bound ship
In this July 16, 2013 file photo, Panamanian workers stand atop sacks of sugar inside a container aboard a North Korean-flagged ship at the Manzanillo International container terminal on the coast of Colon City, Panama. Crews unloading the ship detained in the Panama Canal for carrying undeclared arms from Cuba have found live munitions aboard, a Panamanian official said Friday, Aug. 2, 2013. (AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco, File)
PANAMA CITY — Authorities in Panama say they have found more explosives aboard a North Korean-flagged ship detained in the Panama Canal for carrying undeclared arms from Cuba.
Anti-drug prosecutor Javier Caraballo said Saturday that inspectors found a kind of “anti-tank RPG (rocket-propelled grenade)” explosive when they opened one of five wooden boxes on the Chong Chon Gang. He said the other boxes were not opened because of security fears.
The discovery comes just over a week after authorities said explosive-sniffing dogs had found another batch of ammunition for grenade launchers and other unidentified types of munitions.
The ship was seized July 15 based on intelligence that it may have been carrying drugs.
The manifest said it was carrying 10,000 tons of sugar, but Cuban military equipment was found beneath the sacks.
