Spain seizes freighter allegedly taking weapons to Angola

Authorities in Spain's Canary Islands seized a Georgian-flagged freighter that was allegedly carrying 636 mt of weapons to Angola, the Spanish interior ministry was quoted by AP as saying on Wednesday. AP said the ship was confiscated in Las Palmas on Saturday during a refuelling stop when the captain refused to let port authorities examine the ship's hold, which he said contained auto parts. The ship was searched on Monday and authorities found 20,000 crates containing 7.62-mm bullets, rocket-propelled grenades, night-vision gear and other military equipment. The captain was instructed to pay a US $830,000 deposit to recover the ship while a magistrate conducted an investigation, the report said. It added that although the ship was registered in the Georgian port of Batumi, it belonged to a Ukrainian company.