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Army denies truck consignment to Congo used for 'smuggling' drugs

The consignment was checked for illegal drugs and weapons by the Kenyan authorities at the port of Mombasa on September 17 following a tip-off from the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

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As mystery shrouds over illegal weapons and narcotics allegedly being found in an Indian Army consignment of military truck shipped from Mumbai to the Republic of Congo for use by the Indian peacekeepers there, army has denied any role in it.

The consignment was checked for illegal drugs and weapons by the Kenyan authorities at the port of Mombasa on September 17 following a tip-off from the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

In a statement issued on Friday, army said, "The Indian Army had handed over a consignment of 205 vehicles, including 36 APCs (BMPs), with inherent weapons to UN contracted Merchant Vessel (for end to end delivery) at Mumbai on September 11 with detailed list of weapons and equipment. Any further addition of weapons or any other material placed within the Indian Army vehicles is not responsibility of the Indian Army. The issue has been taken up with UN Headquarter and Mission Headquarter at DRC and it is being progressed further by the UN."

Senior army officials said that the confusion could have arose due to the inherent weapons on the BMPs (an infantry fighting vehicle) which may not have been shown by the ship owners in the manifest. The ship belonged to one Höegh Transporter owned by Norwegian transport firm Höegh Autoliners.

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the Secretary-General in a press briefing on Thursday too said that "there was a ship, in fact, that did come from Mumbai to Mombasa carrying contingent–owned equipment for the Indian peacekeeping units serving in MONUSCO. Weapons were found by the Kenyan authorities as part of legitimate and declared contingent–owned equipment. The investigation is ongoing".

Democratic Republic of Congo is known by its French-language acronym MONUSCO.

The spokesperson further said that on the issue of white powder that was found around the vehicles, that is indeed the case. The Kenyan authorities are checking. Again, from what we understand from Mumbai and from the shippers is that often, on new vehicles, there's some… what do you call it?… anti-humidity powder that's put around tires for long shipments, which is a white powder. So, anyway, the Kenyan authorities are doing tests, and we're obviously cooperating fully with the Indians".

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