Thirty-two of 35 crew members and a North Korean ship seized for carrying hidden arms from Cuba can be released, a Panamanian prosecutor said Wednesday, according to AP. Three of the crew members, including the captain, will be detained and face charges of arms trafficking, said organized crime prosecutor Nahaniel Murgas. "The 32 are being released because they didn't know about the cargo," Murgas said. He said the ship was legally free to go. But according to the officials with the Panama Canal zone, the ship cannot move until the North Koreans pay a $1 million fine levied because the ship's crew threatened the canal's security by not declaring it was transporting weapons. So far the fine has not been resolved, said canal legal adviser Alvaro Cabal. A North Korean delegation arrived last week to negotiate the return of the ship and crew. The ship, Chong Chon Gang, was headed from Cuba to North Korea when it was seized in the canal July 15 based on intelligence that it may have been carrying drugs. -- SPA 20:24 LOCAL TIME 17:24 GMT تغريد
