MiG-29 Siezed in Hong Kong by Customs
-
Guys, if you thought smuggling airsoft was tough and risky... check this out.
Stripped fighter jet seized
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=4&art_id=15849&sid=7372964&con_type=1&d_str=20060405
Hong Kong customs authorities have seized an aircraft believed to be a Soviet-made Mig-29 Fulcrum fighter jet at the Kwai Chung Container Terminal after a routine check revealed the shipment was missing an import license.
Leslie Kwoh
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Hong Kong customs authorities have seized an aircraft believed to be a Soviet-made Mig-29 Fulcrum fighter jet at the Kwai Chung Container Terminal after a routine check revealed the shipment was missing an import license.
The aircraft did not carry any weapons and had been stripped of its engine and other parts when it was discovered by officials Sunday, Commissioner of Customs and Excise Timothy Tong said Tuesday. The shipment had arrived from Ukraine and was destined for the United States.
"The department will continue investigating into the matter, but there is no sign that it involves serious crime, violence, or terrorist activities," Tong said. "So far there's no indication the shipment is connected with smuggling."
Tong refused to reveal the shipping company's name but said the incident might have been caused by "misunderstanding or a lack of time to follow correct procedures."
"From time to time, we have had shipments of strategic commodities pass through Hong Kong where shippers were negligent and did not apply for licenses, but there have been no serious cases where Hong Kong has been threatened," he said. "This [indicates] our strategic goods regulation and monitoring system is very good."
But Democratic Party lawmaker James To warned against complacency, saying he was particularly alarmed by the discovery as "Hong Kong is not known to be a hub for the transfer of such commodities."
He urged the government to fulfill its "responsibility to the international community" and look into the motive behind the shipment and background of the shipping company.
Designed in the early 1970s, the Mig-29 continues to be used by the Ukrainian Air Force and in other countries. The aircraft can reach a maximum speed of 2,450 kilometers per hour, destroy air targets at distances up to 200km and carry up to 3,500 kilograms of weapons.
This is not the first time military shipments have appeared illegally in Hong Kong. In May 2004, customs officials seized about 2,900 sub- machine guns and 25,000 unloaded magazines in transit from Malaysia to California. In March 2000, customs officials seized five armored vehicles en route to Tianjin from Italy.
Under the Import and Export Ordinance, items with potential military or nuclear uses - such as weapons, fissionable materials, nuclear reactors and supercomputers - are considered strategic commodities and must be covered by locally issued import licenses in order to pass through Hong Kong.
Persons who breach the ordinance are subject to a maximum penalty of HK$500,000 fine and two years' imprisonment. -
This is not the first time military shipments have appeared illegally in Hong Kong. In May 2004, customs officials seized about 2,900 sub- machine guns and 25,000 unloaded magazines in transit from Malaysia to California. In March 2000, customs officials seized five armored vehicles en route to Tianjin from Italy.
-
Ever wonder if Singapore have a hand in illegal arms trading? After all Singapore is accused of helping Myanmar set up an arms factory and there are cases where Singapore made arms like the Ultimax shown up in conflict areas around the world.
-
I remember tat time our custom siezed a AIM-54 phoenix AAM
Tat sure is an MIG-29 -
-
we siezed a Phoenix?!! Did DSTA take over it for reverse engineering?
-
Many years ago, when i was a teenager... one singaporean manager was jailed for his involvement in exporting arms to a 3rd world country.Originally posted by tankee1981:Ever wonder if Singapore have a hand in illegal arms trading? After all Singapore is accused of helping Myanmar set up an arms factory and there are cases where Singapore made arms like the Ultimax shown up in conflict areas around the world. -
I cant remember which yr liao it on e newspaper any1 still remember which yr????
-
It was Chinese guy selling weapons to the Tamil Tigers.
He was detained under ISA. -
actually I think arms dealing can be very lucrative provided is state sanctioned or else you don't get caught, dunno true or not but many years ago I heard a rumour that the malaysian migs when the very first time they got it was brokered by none other than the tenku himself. Just for brokering the deal he got a cool 15 million dollars imagine that
I also read before this old second hand book called arms bazaar written by some horowitz guy published in the 60's, according to the book in many armies all over the world a lot of the generals or very senior officers are "non-official" representatives appointed by arms manufacturers, they are there to either influence the deals or smoothen the edges and are very handsomely renumerated.
For example let say XXX country needs to buy ammunition the general will tell his government he needs say 500,000 rounds of bullets, 50,000 RPG grenades for this army this year for exercises, training, each bullet retail price is maybe 20cts and each grenade is maybe $10, the general gets to markup and sell each bullet for maybe 30cts and each grenade $15
For such a deal alone the general will earn
$5 x 50,000 = 250,000
$0.1 x 500,000 = 50,000
300k just for ammo alone and what abt rifles, tanks, tank/artilliery shells jet fighters the list goes on and on.
kewl erh
-
http://www.alert5.com/2006/04/mig-29-detained-in-xianggang-was-sold.html
Ukraine's state-owned Ukrspetsexport weapons trading company told Itar-Tass that the MiG-29 detained in Hong Kong was sold by Ukraine to the United States in 2005 as a museum exhibit. -
Those weapons from Malaysia were old antiquated post WW2 personal weaponry ex police - sterling, bren gun, revolvers. There's a lot of fetishes for old things for old men with money.
Not sure about the Fulcrum though. -
WOW
-
wah..
-
i dun mind a f22 tho
-
i was always buffled that when arms are banned in singapore but are also sold and manufactured by the government.
-
what's so baffling about this?
we have our own army, of course we're going to produce our own arms.