An Italian prosecutor stated on Wednesday that the captain of a Lebanese-flagged cargo ship was arrested in northern Italy for investigation of suspected arms trafficking between Turkey and Libya.
The captain of the cargo ship berthed in the port city of Genoa is under investigation for allegedly delivering rockets, tanks and other military equipment to Libya in violation of a United Nations arms embargo, prosecutor Francesco Pinto declared.
Pinto says the Lebanese captain is suspected of carrying out the trafficking with as yet unidentified Turkish military officials.
Italian authorities launched their investigation based on allegations made by a Lebanese sailor who was a crew member on the 40-year-old cargo ship.
After the ship arrived in Genoa this month, the sailor told Italian border police he was seeking political asylum.
Earlier in the week, a French military official said the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier on Jan. 29 spotted a Turkish frigate off the Libyan coast escorting the Bana, which made a stop in Tripoli’s port.
French fighter jets from the aircraft carrier spotted a delivery while on a reconnaissance mission.
The Charles de Gaulle was in the area as part of a U.S.-led operation against Islamic State group.
The cargo ship’s Lebanese owner, Merhi Abou Merhi, denied media reports in recent weeks that the Bana was used to transport armored vehicles to Libya. He said the vessel usually takes cars between Lebanon and Libya.
