The most recent UN Panel of Experts (PoE) report on DPRK sanctions enforcement noted North Korea’s evolving evasion mechanisms in the maritime sector, with Pyongyang now reportedly to be employing multiple techniques to circumvent restrictions on oil imports and coal exports.

The outgoing Panel coordinator Hugh Griffiths, too, recently emphasized the importance of tracking the DPRK’s maritime illicit activity, as it underpins many of North Korea’s sanctions evasion practices and illegal trade.

And just last week, the British and Japanese governments released new evidence of North Korean vessels engaging in illicit ship-to-ship transfers at sea— highlighting the fact that