3 Albanian sailors found with weapons cache

Judges in Yemen have begun prosecution of three Albanian defendants who were arrested on a ship found to be carrying tonnes of weapons and explosives while it stopped in the Yemeni port of Makla. Official sources told Arabstoday the court held its first session on Monday after the three Albanian men were discovered to be in possession of a 179-tonne stock of weapons, explosives and ammunition. The prosecution claimed defendants had roamed Yemeni waters for five months, adding that when they refuelled at Makla, they deceived authorities with “false and misleading statements." The defendants are suspected of ferrying arms for illegal armed groups in the Gulf. The trial continues.