South Korea briefly seized and inspected the ship in Hong Kong in November for transferring oil derivatives to a ship from North Korea and violations of UN sanctions, the official Foreign Minister said on Friday.
Winmore Lighthouse, leased by a Taiwanese company and carrying about 600 tonnes of refined petroleum products from the Port of Yeosu to South Korea on October 19, transferred a part of its cargo to the North Korean boat, a spokeswoman said.
The South Korean customs authorities briefly seized and inspected the ship when it returned to Yeos Port on November 24, he added.
A ship chartered by Taiwanese Billions Bunker Group Corp on October 11 visited Yeosua in order to burden Japanese refined oil before moving to its destination in Taiwan.
Instead of leaving Taiwan, the ship has, however, handed oil to North Sam Jong 2, as well as three other non-North Korean vessels in international waters, the official said.
“This marks a typical case of North Korea shrewdly circumventing UN Security Council sanctions by using its illegal networks,” the official told journalists.
“The actions taken will be reported to the UN Security Council sanctions committee on North Korea in the future,” he said.
South Korea has shared intelligence with the US about the detection of the illegal transaction, he added.
Taipei said the Billions Bunker Group is not incorporated in Taiwan but in the Marshall Islands, and that it would “continue to fully comply” with UN sanctions against North Korea.
Taiwan’s transport ministry said it is investigating whether any Taiwanese entities were involved.
The Lighthouse Winmore came to Taiwan twice this year to “load supplies”, the ministry added, but gave no further details.
The ship is owned by a Hong Kong-registered company called Win More Shipping Limited. There was nobody Friday at the address given for the firm on Hong Kong’s companies registry.
The Sam Jong 2 was one of four North Korean ships that was blocked from international ports by the UN Security Council on Thursday over suspicions of carrying or transporting goods banned by sanctions targeting Pyongyang’s weapons ambitions, diplomats told AFP.
The Security Council has imposed three sets of sanctions on North Korea this year: one on August 5 targeting the iron, coal and fishing industries, another set on September 11 aimed at textiles and limiting oil supply, and the most recent on December 22 focused on refined petroleum products.
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“This marks a typical case of North Korea shrewdly circumventing UN Security Council sanctions by using its illegal networks,” the official told journalists.
“The actions taken will be reported to the UN Security Council sanctions committee on North Korea in the future,” he said.
South Korea has shared intelligence with the US about the detection of the illegal transaction, he added.
Taipei said the Billions Bunker Group is not incorporated in Taiwan but in the Marshall Islands, and that it would “continue to fully comply” with UN sanctions against North Korea.
Taiwan’s transport ministry said it is investigating whether any Taiwanese entities were involved.
The Lighthouse Winmore came to Taiwan twice this year to “load supplies”, the ministry added, but gave no further details.
The ship is owned by a Hong Kong-registered company called Win More Shipping Limited. There was nobody Friday at the address given for the firm on Hong Kong’s companies registry.
The Sam Jong 2 was one of four North Korean ships that was blocked from international ports by the UN Security Council on Thursday over suspicions of carrying or transporting goods banned by sanctions targeting Pyongyang’s weapons ambitions, diplomats told AFP.
The Security Council has imposed three sets of sanctions on North Korea this year: one on August 5 targeting the iron, coal and fishing industries, another set on September 11 aimed at textiles and limiting oil supply, and the most recent on December 22 focused on refined petroleum products.
#Africa ... spill TEA.... Easy on Shade #jaiyeorie
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