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Germany, a country which once tried to sell its Eurofighters to India has now seized Russian shipments of Tu-142 aircraft engines meant for India. Customs stopped the shipment of four turboprop engines for Tu-142 reconnaissance aircraft destined for India and a shipment of MiG-29 fighter jet engines en route to Algeria because they lacked the necessary permits, the weekly news magazine Spiegel reported.

The Tupolev engines, discovered at Hahn airport in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, are worth $3.3 million, the report said, citing no one.

The Indian navy has eight Tu-142 aircraft as part of its maritime surveillance fleet. The large four-engine plane is based on the Tu-95 strategic bomber.