by WorldTribune Staff, December 31, 2017
Maritime authorities in South Korea said they have seized a Panama-flagged ship suspected of transferring oil to North Korea at sea.
The ship, the KOTI, is the second known vessel suspected of ship-to-ship transfers of oil to North Korea, which is banned under international sanctions.
South Korean authorities said most of the crew of the KOTI are from China and Myanmar.
The 5,100-ton KOTI is being held in the South’s western port of Pyeongtaek-Dangjin, Gyeonggi Province.
The Seoul government announced on Dec. 29 it is investigating a Hong Kong-flagged ship named the Lighthouse Winmore for allegedly transferring oil to a North Korean vessel in international waters on Oct. 19.
The Lighthouse Winmore was suspected of transferring 600 tons of refined petroleum to a North Korean ship named Samjong No. 2.
UN Security Council Resolution 2375, adopted in September, bans member countries from ship-to-ship transfers of any goods to North Korea. Resolution 2397 allows a country to capture and look into a vessel suspected of engaging in prohibited activities with North Korea.
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