Frenchman arrested in Italy with anti-tank missiles in van

A Frenchman named Regis Normand, 46, was arrested in Italy on charges of arms trafficking after a police check discovered three anti-tank missiles and military equipment in his van, authorities announced on Wednesday. Normand was apprehended in the southern port city of Bari in June and remains in custody, according to prosecutors.

The arrest, which became public this week, occurred when police inspected his van as it was offloaded from a ferry arriving from Patras in Greece. Among the items found were three Akeron portable anti-tank missiles, a training missile without a warhead, and a launch tube, all disguised as NATO training equipment, according to judicial documents provided to AFP.

Normand claimed to police that the missiles had been repaired on the Greek island of Crete and were being transported back to their manufacturer, MBDA France. MBDA France has not yet responded to a request for comment on the matter.