Dutch couple caught with arsenal of war weapons in Spain

A Dutch couple was arrested in Spain on Saturday for illegal possession of weapons of war, the Spanish police said on Friday. During a check at the border between Spain and France, the Spanish police found an arsenal of "extremely dangerous" weapons in the couple's van, the police said, AD reports.

The Dutch man and woman were arrested on the AP-7 highway at the La Jonquera border crossing. In their van police officers discovered, among other things, three mortars, nine mortar shells, a loader with ammunition, anti-aircraft guns, a bayonet, a gas mask, and a machine gun with a tripod that was produced by Spanish weapons manufacturer Alfa in 1944. The Dutch did not have the required documents for their cargo. They were therefore arrested and the weapons were seized.

The couple told the police that the had purchased the weapons from someone who had them stored in a boat moored in a port on Costa Brava. The man in question confirmed the sale and told the police that he still had weapons left. A subsequent search yielded two more mortars and six mortar shells. According to the police, the seller did not have any documents explaining the origin of these weapons of war. He was arrested and the remaining weapons were seized.

The Spanish police called the Dutch couple very lucky, saying that there was a good chance of the weapons going off automatically in their van.

The Spanish Public Prosecution Service is investigating.