shipped from China to Libya –

Two war drones packed in containers that left China and were destined for Libya were seized by the financial police of the provincial command of Reggio Calabria at the port of Gioia Tauro. The action took place as part of activities coordinated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Palmi carried out in collaboration with the Gioia Tauro Customs Office. The Guardia di Finanza seized various components for the assembly of the two drones for war use. In particular, six containers from China and destined for Libya were identified and intercepted at the port of Gioia Tauro, based on the examination of the maritime routes of interest and on the basis of anomalies in the accompanying customs documentation.

The containers were supposed to transport components for the assembly of wind generators for electricity. After having carried out the x-ray scan with equipment used by the local Customs and Monopolies Agency, further investigations were carried out by investigators from the Gioia Tauro Guardia di Finanza Group, allowing them to ascertain that, despite having similar characteristics to wind turbine components (Wind Power Equipment Accessories), the transported goods presented elements and details such as to suggest that they could be fuselages and wings of flight-ready devices such as drones for military use. These components were hidden among some composite material covers replicating wind turbine blades, with the aim of diverting controls.

The assembled autonomous aircraft (UAV) have a tonnage of over 3 tons, a length of over 10 meters and a wingspan of about 20 meters. The judiciary has ordered the seizure in relation to the hypothesis of international trafficking of weapons towards a country, such as Libya, subject to an embargo on the basis of the resolutions of the UN Security Council and national and EU regulations.