The Malaysian military today denied any knowledge of a shipment of 2,800 sub-machineguns seized in Hong Kong, according to remarks published.

Armed forces chief General Mohamad Zahadi Zainuddin said the guns, discovered along with 25,000 unloaded magazines in Hong Kong on Monday, were not from the military's stockpile.

Hong Kong customs officials said the second-hand guns, the largest seizure of its kind in the territory, were being being shipped from Malaysia to the United States. While shipping arms through the territory is allowed, the cargo had not been licenced, they said.

'We too like to find out'

"Definitely they are not from our armoury. These are not weapons from our security forces. Not from the police or the armed forces. We are waiting further details from the HK Interpol," Zahadi said in the New Straits Times .

"The ship may have been in transit. We don't know the name of the ship or where it is registered. We too would like to find out where the weapons came from."

Malaysian authorities are in touch with their Hong Kong counterparts to clarify details, he added. - AFP