UN Blacklists North Korea Over Oil Ship To Ship Transfer With Russia

The United Nations has blacklisted a North Korean ship for receiving oil from a Russian vessel in a transfer that breached UN sanctions.

European security sources told Reuters that a Russian vessel conducted a ship-to-ship transfer with the North Korean-flagged Sam Ma 2 tanker in open seas in October.

Similarly in December report suggested that Russian tankers had supplied fuel to North Korea, which relied on imported fuel to keep its struggling economy functioning by transferring cargoes at sea.

“A DPRK-flagged (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) tanker, SAM MA 2 owned by Korea Samma Shipping Company, conducted a ship-to-ship transfer of oil and fabricated documents in mid-October 2017.

The UN Security Council over the weekend, blacklisted dozens of ships and shipping companies over oil and coal smuggling by North Korea, boosting pressure on Pyongyang as leader Kim Jong Un plans to meet with his South Korean and U.S. counterparts.

The council’s North Korea sanctions committee acted on a request by the U.S., designating 21 shipping companies, including five based in China, 15 North Korean ships, 12 non-North Korean ships and a Taiwanese man.

The 12 non-North Korea ships are now subjected to a global port ban and must be deregistered, while the 15 North Korean ships are subjected to an asset freeze and 13 of those a global port ban.

The move came days after Kim met Chinese President Xi Jinping and an announcement that the North Korean leader would meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in on April 27.

He is also scheduled to meet U.S. President Donald Trump sometime in May.