New Zealand will deploy a patrol aircraft to support the monitoring and surveillance of illegal ship-to-ship transfers by North Korea, Japan’s foreign ministry announced on Tuesday.

In a press release, the ministry stated that a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P-8A Poseidon aircraft will operate from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa from mid-April to early May, the sixth time the RNZAF has contributed to monitoring North Korea’s illicit maritime activities in violation of U.N. Security Council sanctions since 2018.

The Japanese press release welcomed New Zealand’s efforts toward ensuring the effective implementation of Security Council resolutions and emphasized