Hizballah MP calls for investigation into 'Turkish' arms shipment

Hizballah is seeking a swift investigation following the seizure of a boat off the Turkish coast, found with weapons and explosives, which has prompted accusations against Ankara.

MENA

2 min read

��

02 March, 2016

In 2012, a major shipment of arms was intercepted by the Lebanese Navy [AFP]

A Lebanon-bound shipment of weapons and explosives seized by Greek authorities off Turkey's western coast has prompted calls for investigations into Ankara's alleged support for terrorism.

The shipment was being carried by "Kuki Boy", a Togo-flagged boat, which had set off from a port in the Turkish province of Izmir.

The head of Hizballah's parliamentary bloc, MP Mohammad Raad, has called for a swift investigation.

Hizballah-affiliated media were quick to speculate that the weapons were sent by Saudi Arabia and Turkey to destabilise Lebanon, in the context of the growing between Riyadh and Hizballah.

The Turkish authorities are yet to comment on the reports.

Weapons and explosives were seized in the search of the 76-metre-long dry cargo vessel, stopped off the Greek island of Rhodes on Sunday, some 102 kilometres southeast of the Turkish resort town of Bodrum.

Hizballah-affiliated media were quick to speculate that the weapons were sent by Saudi Arabia and Turkey to destabilise Lebanon

Greek authorities also arrested all the crew members who were identified as six Syrians, four Indians and a Lebanese national, according to Lebanese press reports.

The operation was conducted by Greek coast guards after the boat did not observe a “stop” warning early on February 28.

According to Equasis, the ship is registered to Lebanese company. The vessel was reportedly heading to the northern port city of Tripoli, Lebanon.

Tripoli is a known base for Sunni Islamist groups and was until recently a gateway for Lebanese Sunnis traveling to neighbouring Syria to fight against the regime there.

The reports brought back memories of a similar sent to Lebanon in 2012, which had passed through Egypt and Turkey.

At the time, the Lutfallah II, a claimed Syrian-owned vessel registered in Sierra Leone but flying the Egyptian flag, was detained off the Lebanese port of Batoun. It was then found to contain hundreds of tonnes of weapons.

It was the ultimate destination for those weapons were Syrian rebels, supported by Turkey.

Hizballah is fighting alongside the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

On Wednesday, the GCC nations announced the designation of Hizballah as a terrorist group.