Lahj (South24)

Earlier today, the Southern forces announced that they had thwarted an attempt to smuggle devices and parts used in manufacturing drones that were en route to the Houthi militia north of Lahj governorate.

A press release by the Southern forces posted on their website said: "A security checkpoint affiliated with the Fourth Hazm Brigade seized [...] during a routine inspection of a truck, devices, spare parts and supplies used in manufacturing drones."

The statement said that the truck was loaded with boxes piled with a quantity of cigarettes that were a camouflage for the devices that were hidden inside the wooden boxes. The items were seized to complete the procedure, the statement said.

A source for South24 Center had reported this news yesterday (September 20). He explained that the seizure of the devices took place on Thursday.

The security statement did not clarify the source of the shipment or where it came from. However, many smuggling operations take place on the coastal strip of Lahj Governorate in the Gulf of Aden.

One of the images released by the Southern forces showed parts of a cooling unit or an industrial ventilation system (fans), which may or may not actually be parts used in the assembling of drones, according to research conducted by South24 Center.

Another image showed a postal shipment label for DHL Aviation EEMEA B.s.c(c), a logistics and air freight division in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EEMEA) region.

The seized shipment reported by the Southern forces' website.

The label included the following details:

• Air Waybill No.:

The number shown is 155-08210134, which is the shipment’s identification number, and is used to track the package during its transit.

• Destination:

The shipment’s final destination is JIB, which refers to Djibouti International Airport in Djibouti.

• Origin:

The origin is AMM, which refers to Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan.

• Total No. of Pieces:

The shipment contains two pieces.

• Eastern Services: Refers to the service or department for delivering shipments across the Middle East or East Africa.