BAKU -- Azerbaijan has detained a Russian cargo plane carrying six MiG jet fighters that may have been heading to Yugoslavia, news reports said Tuesday.
The Russian AN-124 cargo plane arrived in Azerbaijan's capital on Thursday for refueling. But customs agents prevented the plane from leaving after finding the fighters and other military equipment aboard along with 30 pilots and technicians, the Turan news agency reported.The crew said initially that the plane was heading for Yugoslavia, a Russian ally that is under an international arms embargo. But the crew said later that they were going to North Korea, Turan reported. The Russian Foreign Ministry later said they were headed to Slovakia.
The crew has refused to provide information on where their flight originated and other details sought by Azeri officials, who suspect the crew members are mercenaries.
In Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the cargo plane belonged to a private Russian company Polyot. The plane was taking the MiG fighters, which belonged to Kazakstan, to the Slovak capital, Bratislava, said ministry spokesman Vladimir Rakhmanin.
But in Bratislava, two spokesmen at Slovakia's Defense Ministry said they were not aware of any planned MiG deliveries.