Bareeda (Sahan Post) — Puntland authorities had earlier this year intercepted a vessel allegedly smuggling weapons into Somalia, but before the ship was fully secured, armed groups and some Puntland security personnel reportedly removed portions of the illicit cargo without authorization.
New reports from the coastal Raas-Casayr district indicate that light weapons previously collected from local residents, items believed to have originated from the intercepted Seaworld vessel, were seized today in an armed raid. According to local sources, a group of unidentified gunmen attacked the storage site where the recovered weapons were being held.
The Seaworld vessel was captured off the Bareeda coast earlier this year while carrying weapons and military equipment. Although Puntland initially took custody of the ship, it was later released following negotiations that reportedly ended in a settlement.
Weapons offloaded during the initial incident had circulated among some residents, prompting Puntland authorities to launch a wide-scale recovery effort. Security forces carried out multiple operations in recent months, retrieving a substantial number of firearms.
Today’s incident in Raas-Casayr has heightened concerns over the safety and accountability of weapons under government control. Regional officials and security agencies say an investigation is underway to identify the perpetrators and determine the whereabouts of the seized arms.
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