Three Akeron missiles in van: French citizen arrested at Bari port
A 46-year-old French driver employed by MBDA France was arrested in Bari with three war missiles hidden in his vehicle. The investigating judge ordered pre-trial detention pending further investigations.
War missiles in van: 46-year-old French citizen arrested at Bari port
A 46-year-old French citizen was arrested at the port of Bari after the Guardia di finanza (Financial Police) found three Akeron missiles hidden in his van, according to Google News IT — Crime. The man had just disembarked from the Superfast ferry, which had departed from Patras, Greece.
The military personnel stopped the vehicle during a routine inspection. Inside, they found the missiles — powerful combat weapons produced in France — kept in containers specifically used for the transport of anti-tank weapon systems. The investigating judge of the Bari tribunal subsequently ordered pre-trial detention in prison for the man.
The defence lawyer issued a statement claiming that "the transport that is the subject of the proceedings was fully authorised by the French Ministry of Defence and was intended for a NATO base in Greece". The lawyer also clarified that "the material transported consists of inert models, devoid of any offensive capacity", and that MBDA France provided technical and legal documentation to prove the regularity of the operation.
According to investigators, the 46-year-old stated that he was a driver employed by MBDA France, the French section of the European MBDA group, a leader in the design and production of missiles and combat systems. He claimed that he had been tasked by the company to transport the missiles to Greece for repair and maintenance work.
The man presented, through his legal representatives, commercial and travel documents dating from 2025, with which the French Ministry of Defence authorised MBDA France to handle the military material. The judge, however, reportedly found some discrepancies between stamps and dates in the documentation provided, and chose to keep the driver in prison pending further verification.
Source: Google News IT — Crime (it)