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Almost 2,000 AK-47s Were Discovered On A Stateless Fishing Boat

Thousands of weapons were discovered on a stateless fishing boat. Where did they come from?

Almost 2,000 AK-47s Were Discovered On A Stateless Fishing Boat

Royal Australian Navy / ABIS Sarah Ebsworth

Posted: 6:18 p.m. EST Mar 7, 2016

The Royal Australian Navy found more than 2,000 weapons on board this fishing vessel in the Arabian Sea: 1,989 AK-47s; 100 RPGs; 49 PKMs; 39 PKM spare barrels; and 20 60mm mortar tubes.

So, a lot of weapons. But where did it all come from?

Well, the boat was stateless — not registered with any country — so we don't really know yet.

Initial reports suggest it was headed for Somalia. And one U.S. Navy official was quoted by CNN saying the shipment originated in Iran.

He suspected the shipment may have been going from there to Yemen to supply Houthi rebels fighting pro-government forces.

This video includes images from the Royal Australian Navy / ABIS Sarah Ebsworth and music from Frenic / CC BY 3.0.

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