North Korea's Mystery Weapons
A North Korean arms shipment is never simple, even though the Russian-made Ilyushin Il-76 transporter that landed at Don Mueang Airport in Thailand appeared to be so. Thai security forces raided the plane as it refueled after US intelligence tipped off the cargo: 35 tons of arms and ammunition concealed in 12 crates.
Thai spokesman Panithan Wattanayakorn said an investigation found "missiles, explosives and tubes,” while Lt Gen Thangai Prasajaksattru, commander of the Central Investigation Bureau, listed the cargo as “rocket-propelled grenades, missiles and other war weapons.” Apparently they weren’t carefully hidden.
The Bangkok Post reported, “customs and immigration authorities found suspicious packages in tightly-sealed wood and metal crates.”
Rapid reaction pointed to an arms deal between North Korea and Iran, unsurprising but disturbing as the international community is trying to isolate the two states. According the initial flight plan, “the aircraft was chartered by Hong Kong-based Union Top Management Ltd. to fly oil industry spare parts from Pyongyang to Tehran, Iran, with over nine other stops including Bangkok, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan and Ukraine.”
Iran protested immediately and pleaded ignorance, saying its industry is capable of producing all arms in question. That Iran could pass these weapons to Hezbollah and Hamas is more plausible, but again, why not use its own arms? Maybe Tehran is short a shipment to, if the rumors are true, Houthi rebels in Yemen, or maybe Kim Jong II cooked up something new.
Then another flight plan surfaced during Thailand’s investigation alleging that the plane was destined for Colombo, Sri Lanka, not stopping to refuel. The five jailed crew members verified that final destination and insisted they had no idea of their cargo. Denial is a standard tactic, but considering the shady underbelly of private contracting. especially private-contracted arms smuggling, it would be unwise to write them off entirely.
The plane does has murky ties to Victor Bout, an international arms smuggler.
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