A Thai court has refused to release on bail the crew of an arms-laden cargo plane seized in Bangkok in mid-December, a Kazakh Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.
An Il-76 cargo plane carrying 35 tons of weaponry was seized during refueling at Bangkok's Don Muang airport on December 12. Officials said the weapons included portable anti-aircraft missile systems and spare parts for ground-to-air missiles shipped from N. Korea to an unknown destination.
The plane's five crew members, of whom one is from Belarus and the other four are from Kazakhstan, were arrested following the seizure and taken to Bangkok's Klong Prem Central Prison.
"On Wednesday, January 6, the crew members of the Il-76 cargo plane, detained in Thailand, were brought to trial. The Thai court refused to release them on bail," Ilyas Omarov said, adding the next court hearing was scheduled for January 18.
The crew may be charged with illegal storage and transportation of weapons and providing false information. A United Nations resolution bans the transportation of certain weapons, including conventional arms, to or from North Korea, which is under international sanctions.
The crew members have said they were unaware of the military nature of the cargo. They say they were told the cargo was oil drilling equipment.
ASTANA, January 6 (RIA Novosti)
