Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli announced that his country seized a North Korean ship that was carrying "undeclared military cargo." According to Martinelli, the ship, which was traveling from Cuba, was held in the Panama Canal, containing what was believed to be "sophisticated missile equipment."
Martinelli posted a photo on his Twitter account of a large green object that he said was hidden in containers below a shipment of sugar. According to the BBC, Panama's president said that the ship's 35-man crew resisted a search by Panamanian authorities and that the captain had attempted to kill himself.
In an interview with Radio Panama, President Martinelli said that the ship's crew was arrested after resisting efforts to move the ship to the port of Mazanillo. According to the New York Times, the ship will undergo a comprehensive search for weapons being illegally transported through the Panama Canal.
"We're going to keep unloading the ship and figuring out exactly what was inside," Martinelli told reporters. "You cannot go around shipping undeclared weapons of war through the Panama Canal."
The ship, called the Chong Chon Gang, was stopped near the port of Manzanillo on the Atlantic side of the canal, the BBC reported. Authorities attempted to move the ship to the Caribbean side when the crew resisted. According to the BBC, Security Minister Jose Raul Mulino said that the ship sent up a red flag "by the violent reaction of the captain and the crew."
According to the Times, the incident follows on the heels of a budding relationship between Panama and South Korea, N. Korea's primary enemy. The two nations have been exploring the possibility of a free trade agreement.
North Korea has been the target of broad sanctions from the United Nations in recent years as part of efforts to curb the country's ability to export and import weaponry, including missile components and technology, the Times reported.
Both Cuba and North Korea have yet to comment on the incident.
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