According to the Japanese government, a Japanese patrol plane spotted contact between North Korean and Dominican Republic tankers in the East China Sea, raising suspicion of a possible transfer of cargo in violation of UN sanctions on the North. The aircraft took photos of the scene near Shanghai on Saturday as it was patrolling for illicit transfer of refined oil at sea by North Korea.
The information was passed on to the US government, Japan’s key ally in global efforts to impose tough economic sanctions on North Korea. Last September, the United Nations’ Security Council passed a resolution prohibited the ships of UN member states from engaging in the transfer of any goods or items to North Korean-flagged vessels at sea.
At the request of the United States, Japanese vessels and patrol aircraft have engaged in patrolling the sea near Japan to look for possible cases of oil smuggling from late 2017.
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Japan Times
24 January 2018
