Greece frees Syrian found with weapons parts haul

A Greek court on Monday released a Syrian caught last week at the border between Greece and Turkey with a large haul of assault weapons parts, a justice official said.

The man, who lives in Belgium, was handed a suspended prison sentence by the court in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, said the official on condition of anonymity.

He had been caught on the Greek-Turkish border on Thursday with 257 telescopic sights for Kalashnikov assault rifles, 24 night vision sights for anti-tank rocket launchers and an artillery scope.

The man told the court he thought the shipment contained humanitarian aid for conflict-torn Syria, and that he had been forced to return to Greece after being turned back by Turkish customs.

He was convicted for smuggling and illegal possession of weapons parts but his sentence has been suspended for three years, the official said.

He would face 13 months behind bars if he were to reoffend.