U.S. Navy seizes huge shipment of machine guns, sniper rifles, other weapons in Arabian Sea

The U.S. Navy has seized thousands of powerful weapons from a massive shipment that was hidden in a stateless vessel sailing through the North Arabian Sea, officials announced Sunday.

The “illicit” shipment includes thousands of Chinese Type 56 assault rifles, dozens of advanced Russian-made anti-tank guided missiles and hundreds of sniper rifles rocket-propelled grenade launchers and PKM machine guns, according to the Navy’s Mideast-based 5th Fleet. The seizure also included weapon components like advanced optical sights, authorities said in a news release.

Weapons that the U.S. Navy described as coming from a hidden arms shipment aboard a stateless dhow are seen aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey on Saturday, May 8. (U.S. Navy/)

The cruiser USS Monterey stopped the ship during a routine flag verification boarding on Thursday and Friday — in accordance with international law, the Navy said. The vessel, known in the Indian Ocean region as a dhow, was carrying many of the weapons wrapped in green plastic below its deck.

The dhow’s origin and intended destination remain under investigation, but the types of weapons that were seized are similar to recent shipments that were found to be heading to Yemen, which is the site of a years-long conflict between Iran-aligned Houthi rebels and a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, according to multiple reports.

The crew aboard the dhow was questioned during the operation, provided food and water and then released, the Navy said. It was not immediately clear how many people were on the ship or how involved they may be with those dealing the weapons.

The seizure appears to be one of the biggest in that region in recent years. In February, the cruiser USS Winston Churchill stopped two dhows off the coast of Somali with numerous weapons including rocket-propelled grenade launchers and small arms, according to CNN.

About a year earlier, the USS Normandy seized missile components from another vessel in the Arabian sea.

“The U.S. Navy conducts routine patrols in the region to ensure the free flow of commerce for legitimate traffic, disrupt the transport of illicit cargo that often funds terrorism and unlawful activity, and safeguard the rules-based international order,” the Navy said in a statement.