Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Medan | Mon, 08/31/2009 11:56 AM
Indonesian officials claimed Sunday that firearms confiscated by authorities in the Philippines are in order, and blamed the shipping company for the seizure.
The weapons were confiscated by Philippine customs authorities on board the MV Capt. Ufuk, moored in Mariveles Port.
The vessel was carrying 10 P-2 handguns for the Philippines and 100 SS1-V1 assault rifles for Mali.
Defense Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Slamet Hariyanto told The Jakarta Post on Sunday that state weapons maker PT Pindad was responsible for the weapons until they got to the port warehouse.
"The contract says FOB *Free on Board*; from the port to the destination countries, the weapons fall under the responsibility of the shipping company," he said.
Slamet stressed Pindad had gone by the book in exporting the guns.
"This is all just a misunderstanding," he said.
Indonesian director general of customs and excise, Anwar Supriadi, also confirmed there was nothing amiss with the documents provided by Pindad at the time of the ship's departure from Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta.
"If there was a change *to the documents* on the way to the destination countries, it would be beyond my knowledge," he said in Medan.
The case unraveled on Aug. 20, when Philippine customs officials held the Panama-registered vessel for failing to give notice before mooring off Mariveles Port, located at the southern tip of the Bataan Peninsula.
News portal kompas.com reported that customs officials found 50 SS1-V1 rifles, several other military devices and 10 empty wooden crates aboard the ship, which they believe had been emptied prior to their inspection.
Philippine police alleged that the firearms and ammunition were destined for terrorist groups and criminal organizations in Asia and Africa.
Pindad spokesman Timbul Sitompul told The Jakarta Post the firearms had been ordered by the Malian government and a Philippine shooting association.
"We have the complete documentation for the export, for which Pindad is being made to look like a smuggler," he said.
He added the buyers had appointed the shipping company, which regularly transports arms.
"The vessel travels all over the world; the two countries might have chosen the same cargo ship because it was the one that docked in Jakarta and passed by Mali and the Philippines as well," Timbul said.
He added the value of the exported weapons was no more than Rp 1 billion (US$100,000), and expressed surprise that only 50 of the 100 rifles had been found.
The Defense Ministry's Slamet, meanwhile, said the ship might not have had permission to dock at Mariveles Port, but only to transit, considering the Philippine shooting association had only ordered 10 handguns.
"Perhaps the customs officials were also not informed by the Philippine intelligence body about the arrival of the weapons," he said, adding the shipping company had pledged to resolve the problem.
"It's being processed."
Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said his office would also look into the matter, adding a meeting with Philippine officials had been planned for early next week.
Joko Susilo, a member of House of Representatives' Commission I overseeing defense and foreign affairs, said he would push for tighter export controls for weapons, during a meeting scheduled for Monday with the chief security minister, the defense minister and the Indonesian Military chief. (adh)
