Panama officials stopped a North-Korean ship passing through the Panama Canal from Cuba last week, discovering that they were smuggling military equipment such as missiles, fighter jets, and spare engines under bags of sugar.
The 35 men on board were not cooperative, started fights, and tried to resist arrest. The captain of the ship, called the Chong Chon Gang, had a heart attack and tried to end his life by slitting his own throat. LA Times reports that out of the 35 men, 33 have been arrested and charged with endangering public security by attempting to traffic undeclared weapons. North Korean officials demanded that Panama release the men back to their country.
As the ship was being searched by over 350 police and border control officials, Panama asked the United Nations for help in examining the cargo. As of Thursday, the ship was still being searched.
According to Daily Mail, United Nations agreements do not allow North Korea to import military weapons or missiles of any kind, which is why most of the crew members on the ship were arrested. This rule is aimed at limiting North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.
While the ships were being examined, the Cuban government announced that the equipment belonged to Havana and was being taken to North Korea solely for repairs and upgrades, but, soon after, authorities found two more crates of unauthorized military equipment in the ships.