South Korea seizes 2nd ship suspected of supplying oil to North Korea

A Panama-flagged tanker named Koti, has been seized by South Korean authorities who suspect that the ship may have supplied oil to its neighbours, North Korea in violation of international sanction.

According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, the seized vessel which has a mostly Chinese and Burmese crew, is a 5,100-tonne oil carrier.

The ship which is being held at a port near the western city of Pyeongtaek an it is the second vessel seized by South Korea on suspicion of supplying oil to North Korea.

Read also: Global powers stand by Iran nuclear deal despite Trump’s policy shift

About 24-hours ago, South Korea impounded a Hong Kong-registered ship it suspects of secretly transferring 600 tonnes of refined oil to a North Korean vessel.

UN member countries are banned from making ship-to-ship transfers of prohibited goods for North Korea, according to the UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2375 adopted in September.

About a week ago, a ban on nearly 90 percent of refined petroleum exports to North Korea was imposed by the United Nations- a decision imposed on Pyongyang to stop it from furthering its nuclear programme.

The sanction seeks to cap petroleum exports to North Korea at 500,000 barrels a year and also demanded the repatriation of North Koreans working abroad within 12 months.

 

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