India's Foreign Ministry has said it would help bring about the quick release of an UAE air force plane detained in the city of Kolkata for carrying arms without prior permission.

Indian officials held the plane as it stopped to refuel from Abu Dhabi en route to China, saying they had found arms onboard which had not been declared before seeking permission to land.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the ministry said the plane's captain had told Indian customs the plane was carrying arms, ammunition and explosives, but that these had not been mentioned in an initial application.

Authorities at the airport in the country's east held the plane for further investigation.

'The UAE authorities both here and in Abu Dhabi have since formally regretted the omission in clearly indicating items carried by the aircraft and have described it as a 'technical error',' the statement said .

'In the light of the above, the matter will be resolved in the spirit of the close and friendly ties between India and the UAE, and we will facilitate early release of the aircraft.' – Reuters