Missile found on N. Korean 'spy boat'

The ship is lying 90 meters beneath the surface

TOKYO, Japan -- Japanese divers searching a suspected North Korean spy boat that sank in Chinese waters last year have found sophisticated weapons on board, including a Russian-made anti-aircraft missile, reports said Wednesday.

An unnamed source in the Japanese government confirmed to Reuters that divers had spotted the mobile anti-aircraft missile, anti-tank grenade launchers and machineguns on board the wrecked vessel.

The missile has reportedly been identified as an Igla-2 surface-to-air missile, made in the former Soviet Union with a range of about 3,800 meters, Reuters reported.

The ship sank in the East China Sea after it was engaged in a firefight with Japanese coastal patrol boats in December last year.

The estimated 15-strong crew are all assumed to have died.

Recovery effort

Japanese Coast Guard pictures show the suspect boat firing at Japanese patrol ships last December

Since last week, a Japanese recovery team has been working to raise the ship, which went down inside China's 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.

China gave its permission for the Japanese to move into the area last week after several months of negotiations.

North Korea has denied it has any connection with the vessel, which was apparently disguised as a fishing trawler.

What exactly the ship was up to remains a mystery that the Japanese navy hopes to solve by raising the vessel to the surface.

Also unclear is why exactly the ship went down after what was only a relatively brief firefight.

It is currently resting some 90 meters beneath the surface.

Some reports say the crew may have deliberately scuttled the vessel rather than face capture by Japanese authorities.