Canadian military gear stolen on way home from Afghanistan

OTTAWA, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Ten containers of Canadian military gear were stolen on their way home from Afghanistan and the equipment were replaced by rock and dirt, officials said Tuesday.

The containers were shipped on a chartered vessel and consisted of items such as tires, tools and tents, Chris Alexander, parliamentary secretary to Defense Minister Peter MacKay, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The Defense Department has confirmed the theft, he added.

"There were no munitions of any kind in any of the containers being shipped back to Canada by sea on this route. All munitions have already been received in Canada via strategic air and sealift," Lt. Commander John Nethercott said in a statement.

The shipment was contracted to A.J. Maritime Company of Montreal and contained equipment from the Canadian base at Kandahar airfield, which was closed in November.

The company packed the equipment into shipping containers and loaded them in Afghanistan, which have been shipped through Pakistan recently. Among all the 660 containers, about 180 have arrived in Canada.
Chinese People's Liberation Army