News reports say Thai authorities have detained an Eastern European airplane carrying weapons made in North Korea.

The plane had left Pyongyang and stopped over at Don Muang Airport near Bangkok.

A Thai government spokesman says the pilot of the plane asked for permission to land for refueling Saturday morning.

He says weapons were found during an inspection of the plane. The plane and crew were detained and the weapons were seized.

Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban says the crew claimed they were carrying oil drilling equipment, and promises a transparent investigation.

Four Belarussian and one Kazak crew member were aboard the Georgian-flagged plane.

Thai authorities have not released what the plane was carrying, but the cargo is known to include 35 tons of weapons such as missiles, bombs, missile launch pads and rockets.