Politics
16:37, 31-Dec-2017
Seoul seizes Panama vessel for alleged DPRK ties
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South Korean (ROK) authorities have seized a Panama-flagged vessel suspected of transferring oil products to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in violation of United Nations (UN) sanctions, a maritime official said on Sunday.
The 5,100-ton KOTI was detained two weeks ago at the port of Pyeongtaek-Dangjin and its crews are being investigated over alleged ship-to-ship transfers, Reuters reported.
The official did not say when authorities moved in, but the seizure is the second that has been revealed within just a few days.
The ROK government announced Friday that it briefly seized and inspected a Hong Kong-registered ship in November for transferring oil products to a DPRK vessel.
The Panamanian tanker was banned from leaving port following a government meeting on Dec. 21, the report said.
The UN Security Council last month unanimously imposed new sanctions on the DPRK for a recent intercontinental ballistic missile test, seeking to limit its access to refined petroleum products and crude oil.
The United States has also proposed that the United Nations Security Council blacklist 10 ships for transporting banned items from the DPRK, according to documents seen by Reuters on Tuesday.
The Lighthouse Winmore is one of the 10 ships proposed to be blacklisted. The KOTI does not seem to be included on the list.
China on Friday denied reports it had been illicitly selling oil products to the DPRK in defiance of UN sanctions, after US President Donald Trump said he was unhappy that China had allowed oil to reach the isolated nation.
(With inputs from AFP and Reuters)
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