MANILA: Philippine authorities have seized a Panama-registered cargo ship and its crew after the vessel was found to contain crates of assault rifles when it docked at a local port without prior notice, officials said yesterday.

Customs and coast guard officials boarded the 5,421 gross ton ship on Thursday and found five crates containing 50 Israeli-made Galil assault rifles, they said. Ten empty crates were also found.

The ship came in to the Mariveles port, northwest of the capital. “The ship just docked at the port of Mariveles without any prior notice, which made port and customs officials suspicious,” said coast guard spokesman Armand Balilo.

The ship was bound for Batangas province south of Manila from a port in Turkey based on a map found on board. Authorities are investigating whether it was transporting firearms to illegal syndicates, local warlords or militant groups. “These guns are the primary weapon of the Israeli army,” Balilo said. “This is dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands.”

The crew, mostly Georgians, do not speak English, police regional director Leonilo de la Cruz said. They did not provide any documentation to prove the cargo was legitimate.

“We’re having a hard time talking to them,” de la Cruz said, adding an interpreter would help investigations yesterday.

“They are either pretending they don’t know how to speak English or they simply do not know how.” The Philippines has been battling communist and Muslim separatist rebellions for decades, conflicts that have killed about 160,000 people. Some local officials are also known to maintain private armies.

Officials said the crew faced possible charges of violating local immigration and customs laws. The Philippine coast guard said it would take the matter to international maritime authorities if warranted.