A huge haul of advanced weaponry has been uncovered by Jamaican authorities aboard a ship moored at the Caribbean island.

A machine designed to build missiles and ammunition was seized, along with 3,300 missile warheads, the Associated Press news agency reported on Saturday.

Deputy Police Superintendent Steve Brown said that custom officials discovered the weapons late on Thursday aboard a ship at Kingston Wharf.

He declined to say where the shipment originated from or its destination. No one has yet been arrested.

Brown said police were seeking helping from international agencies after their findings.

Jamaica has long been a key stopping point in the drug smuggling trade - with secret US diplomatic cables leaked by WikiLeaks alleging the country's officials were complicit in the narcotics business - but it is understood that this is the first time the island's authorities have made such a large discovery of heavy armaments.