Italian Police Uncover Missiles In Consignment Of Oranges-AFP

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Italian Police Uncover Missiles In Consignment Of Oranges-AFP

ROME (AFP)--Two four-meter medium-range missiles have been found at the southern Italian port of Bari stashed among crates of oranges in a truck bound for Germany, police said Tuesday.
The lorry's two German drivers - as well as contacts at their destination - were being questioned after the U.S.-made AMRAAM air-to-air weapons docked from Greece aboard a German-registered vehicle.

"Two (delivery) documents, instead of one, (going to) two different German towns, were found on the lorry," said local police chief Giuseppe Ialacqua after a customs inspection revealed the unlicensed cargo.

The missiles, typically fired as a guided missile from one aircraft with the aim of destroying another aircraft, had been stripped of their explosive charges.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires



Link
http://www.lloyds.com/CmsPhoenix/DowJonesArticle.aspx?id=379515
 
update

False alarm
Missiles on truck were replicas
Two air-to-air missiles discovered by Italian police in a truck that arrived at the port of Bari from Patras were harmless replicas that had been sent to Greece for use in military exercises, Greek defense officials said yesterday. When Italian authorities informed their Greek counterparts that the two missiles had been found on the truck, there were initially fears that the weapons had been smuggled out of a Greek air base. Checks on the Greek side confirmed that the missiles were replicas and had been sent over for use by F-4 Phantom jet fighters in exercises.



Link
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100019_30/01/2008_92737
 
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