MOMBASA, Kenya (Reuters) - Weapons found by Kenyan police on a ship last week had been stashed inside a shipment of United Nations vehicles, the Norwegian company that owns the vessel said on Wednesday.
Kenyan police said security agents on Thursday discovered firearms and drugs on the Norwegian-flagged Hoegh Transporter, which is docked at the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa.
Coastguards and navies in East Africa have struggled to stem the flow of drugs through their waters as the region has become a key export route for Afghan heroin destined for Europe.
Hoegh Autoliners confirmed weapons were found inside some of the vehicles on its vessel, which was carrying a consignment from Mumbai to the U.N. peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, MONUSCO.
"It is our understanding that these weapons belong to the U.N. vehicles in which they were found, and were for use by the U.N. during their peacekeeping mission," the company said in a statement on its website.
"The weapons were not declared to us at the time the cargo was loaded, and the fact that weapons were in the vehicles is in violation of our terms of transportation, which clearly states that no arms or ammunition are accepted for shipment."
UN Finally Speaks on American Weapons Seized at Mombasa Port
The assortment of arms and ammunition seized last week from a Norwegian ship in Mombasa belongs to the United Nations.
In a statement, the UN said that the firearms were not declared on the manifest but were on the bill of ladding.
UN through the Spokesperson of the Secretary General Nasser Ega-Musa, said that shipping of the guns was authorised adding that the rifles were part of the military trucks to be used in its peace keeping mission in Democratic Republic of Congo.
The world organisation further faulted Kenya for breaching protocol by searching the ship without the presence of UN officials.
"The UN has cooperated fully with the Kenyan authorities and has communicated the above through a Note Verbale to the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is unfortunate that the Kenyan authorities inspected the cargo without a UN presence, which runs contrary to established protocol and provisions surrounding privileges and immunities." read the statement.
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Musa also clarified that the weapons were dismantled for proper packaging and to avoid damage while in the carriers.
However, speaking on Thursday , Inspector General Of Police, Joseph Boinett said he was not aware of any communication adding that the vessel was doing normal deliveries, and that they had received intelligence that it was carrying suspicious items which is why it was detained.
United Nations also refuted claims of any drugs found in the grounded ship. IG Boinett said that the white substance retrieved from the vessel was taken to the government's laboratory for analysis.
The transport company earlier refuted any knowledge of the american weapons found in their ship but expressed fears that their vessel might be sunk by the Kenyan government.