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| September 8, 2009 | Detained UAE aircraft to be released | | New Delhi: SMKrishna on Tuesday said that India will facilitate the early release of the
detained UAE Air Force plane that was heading for China carrying a huge
consignment of undeclared arms and explosives. In a statement issued
here, Krishna said: The matter will be resolved in the spirit of the close and
friendly ties between India and the UAE, and we will facilitate early release
of the aircraft." Recalling the incident, he said that the UAE Embassy had sought
clearance for overflying and landing of their Air Force flight at Kolkata Airport
en route to Xianyang, China. He said that the flight arrived from Abu Dhabi at
Kolkata Airport on September 6 and the captain of the flight, Major Ibrahim Alshamsei,
filed a declaration to the Customs stating that the flight was carrying arms/ammunition/explosives.
"However, since at the time of initial application, no mention of the arms and
ammunition was made, the authorities at Kolkata Airport detained the aircraft
for further investigation. Accordingly, after the concurrence of the pilot-in-command
of the aircraft, the Custom Officials entered the aircraft to inquire about the
nature of cargo. The UAE authorities both here and in Abu Dhabi have since formally
regretted the omission in clearly indicating items carried by the aircraft and
have described it as a 'technical error'. They have also provided details about
the cargo which consists of a combat missile," Krishna said. Earlier, Kolkata
officials had sent a detailed report to New Delhi on the detained UAE military
aircraft, two days after it landed and was found to be carrying a huge consignment
of undeclared arms and explosives. The plane is still grounded while its crew
has been released but asked not leave Kolkata. The UAE government meanwhile said
on Tuesday that it was in "constant contact" with the Indian officials over its
Air Force plane. UAE Foreign Ministry''s Director-General Juma Al Junaibi confirmed
in a statement in which he stressed the deep-rooted relations between the UAE
and India and also reiterated UAE''s respect for India''s sovereignty. The China-bound
cargo plane of the United Arab Emirates Air Force was detained and its ten crew
members including the pilot questioned when customs officials found arms and ammunition
on board the aircraft after it made a scheduled transit landing at the Kolkata
airport. Sources say Kolkata Customs Officials have sent the information to the
Defence, Finance and External Affairs Ministries at the centre. Details were also
submitted of how the Delhi Regional Command gave the plane the go ahead to land
in Kolkata when it had not declared the true nature of its cargo. | |
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