Spain turns away ship with explosives from India to Israel

Ajay Banerjee

& Sandeep Dikshit

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 17

There were no ruffled feathers in Indian strategic circles after Spain refused permission to a ship to dock at Cartagena on May 21. The ship was carrying 27 tonnes of explosives from India to Israel.

Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares was quoted as saying, “This is the first time we have done this because it is the first time we have detected a ship carrying a shipment of arms to Israel that wants to call at a Spanish port.”

Was on way from Chennai to Haifa port

The cargo did not raise eyebrows in the strategic community because Indian firms, both private as well as public, are understood to have deep ties with Israel for joint production of defence equipment

Albares did not provide details on the ship, registered in Denmark, but Transport Minister Oscar Puente said it was the “Marianne Danica” that had requested permission to call at the south-eastern port of Cartagena on May 21. The Spanish El Pais newspaper said the ship was carrying 27 tonnes of explosive material from Chennai to the port of Haifa in Israel.

International think-tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which tracks arms sales globally, in its annual report in March said Israel was the world’s 9th largest exporter of weapons and India was its biggest client accounting for around 37 per cent of all Israeli exports for the period 2019-23.

When Spain refused permission to the ship to dock, saying it was carrying explosives from India to Israel, it did not raise eyebrows in the strategic community because Indian companies are understood to have deep ties with Israel for joint production.

The explosives on the ship could either be from an Indian company or a third country could have ordered it, felt sources. They said the origin of the material could not be identified, but a few companies had trade ties with Israel including the Adani Group. Hermes drone is produced in India at plants owned by Adani Defence and exported to Israel.