Spanish media has reported that on 27 August, the Liberian-flagged cargo ship Lila Mumbai, number 9253143, had been detained on suspicion of transporting military equipment to Benghazi.
It was held in the waters off the Spanish port of Ceuta for four days as authorities determined whether the vessel is transporting material that could breach the UN arms embargo on Libya. Local media report both petrol vessels and recreational vessels could be seen aboard the Lila Mumbai. On 31 August, the Lila Mumbai arrived at the Port of Algeciras where customs officials began checking its cargo. The decision to move it to Algeciras is due to logistical reasons: the port of Ceuta lacks the capacity to carry out the eventual unloading and inspection of the vessels carried by the cargo ship.
AIS data show the ship departed al-Fujayrah, UAE, on 18 July and apparently travelled around the cape of Africa rather than passing through the Suez Canal. It was reportedly this lengthy route which initially raised suspicion. The owner of the vessel is a Dubai-based company called Lila Global.