BDS awaits status of police report against local company over shipment of explosives to Israel

The Malaysian chapter of Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) said it still does not know whether the police have launched an investigation into a local company accused of being involved in supplying military explosives to the Zionist state, two weeks after the anti-Israel movement filed a complaint.

BDS said it had not yet received any information from the police about the status of the report, including whether the company named by the group had been called in for questioning.

"Unfortunately, we have yet to receive any information on the action taken against the companies involved," BDS Malaysia president Nazari Ismail told MalaysiaNow.

On Sept 13, BDS and a group of pro-Palestinian activists lodged a report alleging that a local company was involved in facilitating the shipment of eight containers of explosives to Israel.

Citing information from abroad, BDS stated that the MV Kathrin, the cargo ship carrying the containers, had left Vietnam for Singapore and would arrive in Bar, Montenegro today.

The report also named the company involved in the shipment of the military explosives from Vietnam to Slovenia before travelling overland to Israel.

"This company maintains its Asia headquarters here in KL and is called United O7 Asia Sdn Bhd. We have information that MV Kathrin is among the vessels operated by this company," it said, adding that it was highly likely that its activities were linked to the shipment of explosives.

Earlier, news portal Malaysiakini had quoted Denmark-based cargo company Ocean7 Projects ApS, which is co-owner of United O7 Asia Sdn Bhd, denying the allegations.

It said United 07 Asia had no involvement in the delivery of the cargo, adding that it also did not own MV Kathrin, but merely an agent for its owner in Europe.

Ocean7 also stated that the ship would not call at an Israeli port.

However, BDS rejected Ocean7's response, saying that it "consists of evasion, deflection and bare denials".

"The issue is that the lethal cargo in the vessel in the form of eight containers of RDX explosives are scheduled to be discharged at a port in the Adriatic Sea and then delivered by other means to its final destination of Israel to be used for bombs and missiles.

"We have the evidence to support this," BDS said, adding that Ocean7 also operates land and sea logistics.

BDS said authorities in Namibia had already revoked the ship's permit to dock at their port after learning that the import licence issued by the Israeli Ministry of Economy showed that the ship was carrying a consignment of Hexogen/RDX explosives imported by IMI Systems.

It said the main issue is that the "lethal cargo" would eventually arrive in Israel and later be used for bombs and missiles in Israel's genocidal campaign against the Palestinians.

BDS said its police report referred to the involvement of United 07 Asia in handling the shipment.

"They say that the cargo of the MV Kathrin is not illegal. This is very disingenuous. The documentation for the cargo, including the RDX explosives, may be in order and in compliance with the rules and regulations of international trade.

"However, on the issue of genocide, whether credible or actual, the prevention or suppression of such a crime against humanity takes precedence over the rules and regulations of international trade. The supply of arms and lethal war materiel to a state that is committing genocide is illegal," said BDS.

Nazari hopes that the Malaysian authorities will respond to the police report.

"And if it is true, action must be taken against the company."

MalaysiaNow is still waiting for a response from United O7 Asia and the police.

It is the latest in a series of fears by pro-Palestinian groups that Malaysia could be cited as being complicit in Israeli war crimes, where more than 40,000 civilians have been killed so far in Gaza.

It comes on the back of the controversy surrounding Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's decision to defend the sale of shares in a state-owned airport management company to a firm owned by BlackRock, the US fund manager facing allegations of complicity in Israeli war crimes.

Anwar had previously angered pro-Palestinian activists in Malaysia when he said Malaysia could not afford to cut trade ties with pro-Israel companies.