The Chinese ship Da Dan Xia and its captain Wu Hong were detained in Colombia for illegally carrying explosives and other ammunition.

The Colombian officials stopped the ship, which was bound for Cuba, in the Caribbean port of Cartegena.

Colombian counter-narcotics police inspected the ship based on a tip from a source that the ship is transporting ammunition.

Like Us on Facebook

Found in the ship were around three million detonators, 100 tons of gunpowder, and an estimated 3,000 cannon shells.

 "The documentation that the captain had in regards to the merchandise that was being transported did not correspond to what we found," said Colombia Attorney General's Office National Director Luis Gonzalez.

In its records, the cargo was recorded as 28,451 deadweight-tons of grain products.

The Prosecutor's Office had pictures that allegedly showed the cargoes inside the Da Dan Xia ship.

Accordingly, containers had wood cases that were labelled China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO).

The company is known as China's biggest manufacturer of weapons, ammunition and other defense products.

"Some media reports of what the ship was carrying do not accord with the reality of the situation," said NORINCO's spokesperson. "The products we sent over this time were mainly raw materials for the production of bullets."

NORINCO stressed that the products found in the ship were sold legally.

The spokesperson, however, pointed out that the information that came out from the media about the products were untrue.

The ship also allegedly had mining pipes and made a stop-over in Cartagena to unload the pipes.

Gonzalez added that Wu Hong will be charged with weapons trafficking.

Colombian authorities inspected the ship, which is being operated by China's largest shipping company Cosco Shipping, for 48 hours after it was impounded.

In its itinerary manifesto, Da Dan Xia would stop in the Colombian port of Barranquilla before it will proceed to Cuba,

 "It is completely normal military trade cooperation," said Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying. She claimed that Wu Hong did not violate any international law.

Hua Chunying said that the Chinese Government has already made proper channels to concerned parties over the matter.

TagsCuba, Explosives, Colombia, Chinese ship, Da Dan Xia, Cosco Shipping