Panama, Jul 16: Panama said it has seized a North Korean-flagged ship carrying what appeared to be ballistic missiles and other arms which had set sail from Cuba.
Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli told RPC radio on Monday that the ship had been heading for North Korea.
There were no immediate details on the quantity of arms aboard.
Martinelli said the undeclared military cargo appeared to include missiles and non-conventional arms.
He said the ship was violating United Nations resolutions against arms trafficking.
He offered no details, but posted a photo of what appeared to be a green tubular object sitting inside a cargo container or the ship's hold.
Martinelli told RPC the 35 North Koreans on the boat resisted police efforts to take the ship to the Caribbean port of Manzanillo, but that the crew was later taken into custody.
Martinelli said authorities had been tipped off some days ago that the ship might be carrying drugs.
