Ship captain arrested in probe of arms trafficking to Libya

ROME — An Italian prosecutor says the captain of a Lebanese-flagged cargo ship has been arrested in northern Italy for investigation of suspected international arms trafficking between Turkey and Libya.

Prosecutor Francesco Pinto told The Associated Press on Wednesday night that the Lebanese captain of the vessel 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 U.N. embargo.

Pinto says the captain is suspected of carrying out the trafficking with as yet unidentified Turkish military officials.

The investigation in Italy follows up on allegations made by a Lebanese sailor who is a crew member on the 40-year-old cargo ship, the Bana, Pinto told the AP earlier in the week..

After the ship arrived in Genoa this month, the sailor told Italian border police he was seeking political asylum. He alleged that the Bana, which is designed to carry vehicles, had unloaded tanks and other vehicles that could be used for military purposes in the Libyan capital of Tripoli.

The Associated Press