NCRI – Eight men accused of trying to smuggle weapons into Yemen aboard an Iranian ship have gone on trial in the Yemeni capital Aden.
The vessel named Jihan was intercepted by Yemeni forces as it sailed into their territorial waters on January 23.
A huge cache of weapons – including ten Chinese heat-seeking anti-aircraft missiles – was found aboard, the court in Aden was told.
The eight Yemeni crew members were said to have travelled to Iran on forged documents last year, before receiving training in use of arms, explosives, sniper attacks, urban warfare and advanced naval communications.
They then returned to Yemen with the arms hidden in carefully-concealed compartments, the court heard.
The New York Times reported on March 3 that the shipment was being seen by US officials as an attempt to smuggle sophisticated new anti-aircraft systems into the Arabian Peninsula, and raised concerns in Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen over the increased threat posed to civilian and military aircraft.
A ninth defendant escaped arrest and was being tried in his absence, it was reported.