Italian authorities arrested a 46-year-old French citizen at the port of Bari after discovering three Akeron missiles and other equipment classified as war materials inside the van he was driving.
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The arrest was ordered by the Guardia di Finanza on June 9, but the case became public only on August 26.
The Frenchman had arrived in Bari by ferry from Patras, Greece. During an inspection of the vehicle, authorities found five containers holding antitank weapon systems. Among them were three Akeron missiles manufactured by the French company MBDA, according to reports by Italian media.
During questioning, the 46-year-old said he worked as a driver contracted by MBDA France, the French branch of the European MBDA group, which specializes in developing and producing missiles and defense systems.
According to his explanation, the equipment had been transported from France to Greece, where it was to undergo repairs by the company Altus LSA. When he was stopped in Bari, he was traveling back toward France.
To substantiate his account, the driver handed over commercial documentation, email exchanges, invoices and an authorization from the French Ministry of Defense. The authorization, issued to MBDA France in 2025, was related to operations involving war materials.
However, checks by the Italian authorities revealed several irregularities in the documents submitted.
Preliminary investigations found that the 46-year-old did not have the permits required by the Italian authorities to transport weapons. Investigators also identified discrepancies between the dates and stamps on the documentation.
At the time of the inspection, the driver presented three international transport documents. According to the seizure report, they contained only a general description in French and were not accompanied by a detailed list of the cargo.
In light of these circumstances, the preliminary investigations judge ordered the French citizen’s pre-trial detention, and he was charged with the unauthorized importation of weapons of war.
