September 26, 2023
News

Sanctioned North Korean tanker caught in ship-to-ship transfer near China: Japan

Chon Ma San began broadcasting location in October, showing at least four trips and lengthy loitering in Korea Strait

A sanctioned North Korean oil tanker was photographed conducting a ship-to-ship (STS) transfer off the coast of Shanghai in mid-January in violation of UN resolutions, according to the latest in a series of reports on such activities from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).

Japan concluded that the Chon Ma San (IMO number: 8660313), a vessel designated by the U.S. Treasury and the UN in early 2018, was likely engaging in a STS transfer with another vessel “of unknown nationality.”