Weapons detained by Georgian state security officer were meant for Georgian gunmen

The weapons detained by Georgian state security officers near Tbilisi, the country's capital, were meant for Georgian gunmen in Abkhazia. This was directly stated by David Shengeliya, commander of the Georgian "Forest Brothers" guerilla detachment on Tuesday.

He said in a live programme broadcast by the Tbilisi Rustavi-2 TV company that the state security officer who was delivering the weapons from Tkhinvali (South Ossetia, an unrecognized republic on Georgian territory) to Tbilisi, was his friend with whom he had fought during the armed conflict in Abkhazia.

David Shengeliya also stressed that the batch of weapons had been bought through intermediaries in Tkhinvali for $7,000.

In the meantime, Valery Khaburdzania, Georgia's Minister of State Security, said that the detained weapons -- three anti-tank jet grenade launchers, nine anti-tank guided missiles and three Fagot-type launchers for them -- had actually cost about $300,000.

David Shengeliya also said that he intends to "find out what had actually happened" and demand that the weapons be returned. Moreover, he stressed that he does not consider his activity to be a crime, since "he is fighting for the return of his native country." On June 17th, Georgian state security officers detained on a highway near Tbilisi a Land Cruiser car that was carrying arms. It was driven by Major Simon Mchedlidze, deputy head of the 11th sub-unit of the department for the protection of Ministry of State Security facilities.