SAL pours cold water on ANL arms ship furore

According to a Financial Times report quoting diplomatic sources and the Federal Government, the 2668 teu, ANL-owned containership ANL Australia (ex OOCL Australia, Australian Endeavour) was in Abu Dhabi in mid-July when weapons were discovered by United Arab Emirates Customs.

They were reportedly in containers aboard the Bahamas-flagged, 1991-built ship, allegedly bound for Iran from North Korea, contrary to UN Security Council resolution 1874.

The ship was later allowed to leave port.

Tehran has rejected the report.

SAL chief executive Llew Russell said it would be surprising if there was any evidence of a link to Australia and Australians on which to base an investigation, other than the ship's name.

"On the information we have, [it has] not been established," Mr Russell said.

Federal transport minister Anthony Albanese and the office of foreign affairs minister Stephen Smith have confirmed that there will be an investigation.

"We take our obligations under the UN Security Council resolutions seriously," Mr Albanese told Channel Nine.

"The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is investigating this incident and we are also investigating whether there have been any breaches of Australian law.

"If there have been, that will be referred to the appropriate [federal] police authorities."

An unconfirmed report in the Australian newspaper indicated the containers were loaded in Shanghai on a China Shipping bill of lading.

In that regard, the spokeswoman for Mr Smith said the Department of Foreign Affairs was unable to comment "for operational reasons on the details of the incident".

Mr Russell said there was an important aspect of the issue that had not been reported.

"It may not be known to the general public that it is illegal for shipping companies to break seals and have a look in containers, even if they had access to them," he said.

"Only Customs can break a seal when [containers are] transit."

A spokesman for ANL said the container line would not be making a comment on the issue.