3 Albanians jailed in Yemen for smuggling

Three Albanians have been sentenced to six-year prison terms by a Yemeni court, after being found guilty of smuggling arms and explosives into the country. The men were arrested in Hadhramaut province in December last year, on board a ship carrying 179.5 tonnes of ammunition and explosives. A Judicial source said the trio were found guilty of trafficking military equipment into Yemen. "The defendants were sentenced to six years each and the ship and explosives were confiscated," the source said, adding the case was heard by a court specialising in terrorism cases. "The defendants said they will appeal the verdict, and claimed that they had stopped in the port city of Mukalla to refuel the ship," the source explained. According to the official charge sheet, the ship, which carried Kenyan and Moldovan flags, had set sail from Montenegro, and entered Yemen’s territorial waters, where crew members claimed they wanted to refuel. Authorities discovered ammunition and explosives on the ship and arrested the three men immediately. The trio were also charged with misleading Yemeni authorities, after denying any knowledge of ammunition or hazardous substances on board. The charge sheet also listed a charge of endangering the safety and security of the community, and putting the security of maritime navigation in Mukalla port at risk.