Crew of arrested plane in Thailand say were unaware of cargo nature
The crew of the IL-72 plane impounded in Thailand have said they were assured by the Ukrainian and Georgian organizers of the flight that cargo was civilian not of a military nature.
When in North Korea, the crew remained in a hotel and found a sealed cargo when they arrived to the plane. They only checked if the cargo was fastened properly, the crew claimed.
"The Ukraine-based air freighter Aviatek and the Georgian company Air West Georgia, the plane's operator, assured us, under the terms of the contract, that the cargo was civilian", the crew said in a statement.
The crew also said that if they knew about weapons aboard the plane, they would have refused to perform the flight. Almost 40 tons of weapons and explosives were seized by the Thai police on the plane when it landed in Bangkok for refuelling. Four Kazakhstan nationals and a Belarus citizen from the crew are charged with illegal transportation of explosives. They are facing from two years to death penalty, reports the Russian news agency Ria Novosti.
When in North Korea, the crew remained in a hotel and found a sealed cargo when they arrived to the plane. They only checked if the cargo was fastened properly, the crew claimed.
"The Ukraine-based air freighter Aviatek and the Georgian company Air West Georgia, the plane's operator, assured us, under the terms of the contract, that the cargo was civilian", the crew said in a statement.
The crew also said that if they knew about weapons aboard the plane, they would have refused to perform the flight. Almost 40 tons of weapons and explosives were seized by the Thai police on the plane when it landed in Bangkok for refuelling. Four Kazakhstan nationals and a Belarus citizen from the crew are charged with illegal transportation of explosives. They are facing from two years to death penalty, reports the Russian news agency Ria Novosti.
