Turkey was holding a suspicious shipment at the Port of Mersin, sent from Iran and bound for Venezuela, because it contained lab equipment capable of producing explosives, according to a Reuters report.
Customs authorities in Turkey intercepted the shipment among a 22-container consignment labeled as tractor parts. The shipment was brought to Turkey by truck from Iran, where it was due to travel by ocean to Venezuela. The cargo contained no traces of radioactive material but did contain some chemicals marked as dangerous.
The Reuters report said Iranian and Venezuelan companies are involved in numerous joint ventures in Venezuela, including tractor and car assembly plants, while the countries have also agreed to jointly develop petrochemical projects. Both countries are also political enemies of the United States.
Source: American Shipper