Japan finds missile in suspected N. Korean ship
Written: 2002-06-27 00:00:00 / Updated: 0000-00-00 00:00:00
Japanese sources say Japan has found a missile and other weapons in a mystery ship which sank last December after an exchange of gunfire with Japanese coast guards. Japan suspects the ship of being a North Korean ship on either a spying or drug trafficking mission. A Japanese government official said Wednesday that Japanese divers spotted a mobile anti-aircraft missile, portable anti-tank grenade launchers and machineguns in the ship. The official said the missile was identified as an Igla-Two surface-to-air missile developed by the former Soviet Union. Japan is starting to raise the vessel, which lies at a depth of three hundred feet in the East China Sea. Officials said it would take at least a month to salvage the one hundred ton vessel. China agreed last week to allow Japan to salvage the vessel. North Korea has accused Japan of mounting a smear campaign over the ship and has threatened unspecified counter-measures.
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