A UAE Air Force plane was detained for hours in India's Kolkata airport for allegedly carrying a large cache of arms and ammunition, a report said.

The plane, bound for Hanyang in China from Abu Dhabi, landed at the NSC Bose International airport in the aiport for refuelling, said The Times of India report.

It quoted airport sources as saying that customs officials found that a large cache of arms and ammunition were stockpiled inside the plane.

The Airport Authority of India was informed and as the plane's crew did not inform the authorities here that the aircraft was carrying arms, its return flight order was cancelled and nine crew members were detained for a while.

The pilot and eight crew members are being interrogated about the arms, an official said.