Police arrest French man carrying three Akeron missiles in truck
Photo: Akeron missile system (MBDA)
Law enforcement officers in the Italian port of Bari have detained a 46-year-old French citizen who was transporting five containers of military equipment. Initially, some of the cargo might have been mistaken for training equipment, but examination by Italian military experts revealed signs of live combat missiles, according to Euronews.
The French driver was stopped by Italian law enforcement after disembarking from the ferry Superfast II, which had arrived in Bari from the Greek port of Patras.
During a search of the van with French license plates, officers discovered five transport-launch containers. One of them was empty, a second contained a training missile, and the remaining three held live Akeron missiles.
Training markings concealed live missiles
To determine the type and hazard level of the cargo, Italian law enforcement called in army experts. During the inspection, questions arose regarding the labelling on the containers.
They bore blue adhesive tape. Under NATO standards, such tape is used to mark training equipment that contains no explosives.
However, once the tape was removed, the original yellow-and-black markings were revealed underneath, indicating the presence of a high-explosive anti-tank warhead.
Thus, three containers that could have passed for those carrying training equipment actually held live combat missiles.
Driver claimed order from MBDA
The detained 46-year-old Frenchman told investigators that he worked as a subcontractor for a company specialising in military cargo transport. According to his account, the shipment was carried out on behalf of the defence company MBDA.
The driver also asserted that the equipment was bound for Greece, where repair work was to be carried out by Altus LSA.
However, Italian investigators uncovered circumstances that cast doubt on this version. Specifically, the transport company cited by the driver is in fact owned by his wife and, according to investigators, does not specialise in military logistics.
The defence produced documents and a permit from the French Ministry of Defence dated 2025. At the same time, the court noted discrepancies in the dates and seals on the paperwork, as well as the absence of the Italian authorisations required for the transit of weapons.
Court remanded the man in custody
Against this backdrop, the judge ordered the suspect to be held in custody. The investigation is tasked with establishing the origin of the military cargo and its ultimate destination.
At this stage, it does not emerge from the materials presented that the French driver has already been found guilty of illegal arms trafficking. He was detained pending further investigation into the circumstances.
What is the Akeron MP
The Akeron MP is a French fifth-generation anti-tank missile system developed by MBDA. It is designed to engage armoured vehicles and fortified targets.
The system can be employed at ranges of up to 4–5 kilometres. The missile can operate on a fire-and-forget principle, while also allowing for manual flight correction via a fibre-optic datalink.
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