Missile parts cause concern at Taiwan airport

A China Airlines’ plane taxies at Taoyuan International Airport. AFP

TAIPEI, Taiwan—China Airlines and airport police seized Wednesday missile parts resembling 28 missile warheads at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.

The batch of supposed warheads, belonging to the Ministry of National Defense (MND), had been sent by the Air Force from the southwestern city of Kaohsiung to the airport.

The items were originally slated to be flown from Taoyuan to Los Angeles on China Airlines flight CI-006 and then to New York City, a claim airport police declined to confirm.

The cargo was declared as guided missile equipment, weighing a total of 2,500 kilograms. According to China Airlines, the cargo was labeled “Guidance Section, Guided Missiles.”

An insider pointed out that the guided missile equipment was not listed as “dangerous” and was not required to be reported to authorities prior to shipping, but airline staff discovered that the contents resembled warheads during X-ray inspections at customs.

The airline staff informed airport police, who seized the cargo before the plane departed. According to regulations, the owners of the cargo — the MND — should sign a recognizance or affidavit before the contents can be shipped.

The Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) confirmed that it has received a report concerning the MND’s plan to ship guided missile systems to the US, and is currently awaiting the MND’s confirmation that the contents did not pose any danger. The CAA will be dispatching its own personnel to ensure that the contents are safe before they are flown to the US.

“Even if the contents include dangerous items, such as warheads, transportation of these items is still allowed if they are packaged according to the regulations and are reported to the authorities beforehand,” said an unnamed CAA official.

The MND in a statement released late Wednesday night, confirmed that the cargo contained individual parts of guided missiles, and that they were being sent back to the original manufacturer in the US for routine maintenance.

According to the MND, the shipping procedures are normal and the said parts are not explosive. They were therefore to be sent by air to the US manufacturer per the usual procedure. The Air Force said it is unsure why customs authorities would stop the package from being sent to the US this time, as the delivery was previously made the same way.

The cargo belonging to the MND has been handled according to “regular procedures,” and there have been no safety issues or violation of the law, said airport police.