An anti-drugs team was alleged to have found drugs and weapons in United Nations (UN) vehicles during a search of the pure car/truck carrier Hoegh Transporter (above), 57,757grt, when she arrived at the Kenyan port of Mombasa on Sept 17 on her scheduled voyage.
A multi-agency team, which included Kenyan officers and agents from the US Drug Enforcement Administration, raided the ship after being tipped off by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and US intelligence agents.
In the search of vehicles that were to be discharged at Mombasa, the team allegedly found weapons inside the tyres of three UN vehicles, and drugs. The vehicles had been loaded at Mumbai.
The Hoegh Transporter, of Hoegh Autoliners, of Oslo, was carrying 3,983 vehicles, including 257 UN vehicles to be used for a peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“During a cargo inspection which has taken place over the last few days in Mombasa, the Kenyan authorities have discovered weapons, not declared in the cargo manifest, inside some of the UN vehicles,” Hoegh Autoliners said on Sept 22.
“It is our understanding that these weapons belong to the UN vehicles in which they were found, and were for use by the UN during their peacekeeping mission.”