Cuban weapons found in July aboard a North Korean ship trying to cross the Panama Canal violated United Nations weapons sanctions, Panamanian officials said, citing an unpublished U.N. report on the incident. Cuban officials said Thursday that they had no comment on the Panamanian allegations. In July, Cuba's foreign ministry issued a statement that said the undeclared shipment discovered aboard the ship consisted of obsolete weapons being sent to North Korea for repairs before being returned to Cuba. But Panamanian officials have said that under 10,000 tons of Cuban sugar, they found operational weaponry, including MiG fighter jets, anti-aircraft systems and explosives.
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Panama says it found fighter jets, explosives aboard North Korean ship in July
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Cuba says the weapons were going to be repaired and returned
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Panamanian officials cite unpublished U.N. weapons inspector report
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Shipment may have been intended to bolster North Korean defenses
According to the @placeholder statement, the crew rendered the ship inoperable during the struggle to keep customs authorities from boarding it.