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Sat, 19 Jul, 2014 12:03:56 AM FTimes-STT Report, July 19  Customs Director Sami Rakshit. Photo – Lehtikuva / Getty Images. Finnish Customs at the Helsinki-Vantaa airport intercepted an arms consignment heading for Ukraine in June, according to a report published by the Finnish language daily Helsingin Sanomat on Friday.
According to the report, the consignment comprised components of a missile guidance system.
Customs officials came across the find during a routine check at the end of June.
The matter, according to the report, was not made public due to the sensitivity of Ukraine crisis and was revealed only to senior figures in the government.
The country from which the consignment was sent from remains unnamed and the recipient is yet to be confirmed.
Sami Rakshit, director of investigations at the Finnish Customs, said the confirmation would be made next week.
Finnair's passenger terminal at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. Photo - Lehtikuva. Such type of occurrence, according to Rakshit, is usually a case of legal trade conducted between two nations.
“For one reason or another the permits are missing, even though they should be if goods are transported from Finland or through Finland,” said Rakshit.
The consignment was impounded because it did not have the necessary clearance, said the Sanomat report.
Even if the transportation turns out to be legal, the customs will investigate why the clearance was missing, whether it was appropriate or just a case of smuggling, added Rakshit.
The Finnish Customs has in recent years intercepted a dozen of suspected illegal arms consignments destined for countries where arms embargo is in place.
The customs, however, had not intercepted any arms headed for Ukraine in years.
Preliminary investigation is currently ongoing in this regard.
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