Surveillance aircraft detects suspected illicit maritime exchange near North Korea
Air Commodore Andy Scott states captured data permits enforcement action against ships operating in contravention of United Nations resolutions, though specific commodities remain undisclosed
New Zealand's Defence Force has confirmed that a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft observed a possible ship-to-ship transfer of illicit goods in international waters near North Korea. The observation occurred on Tuesday within the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, involving a cluster of 35 vessels of interest. This surveillance activity forms part of New Zealand's contribution to the US-led Pacific Security Maritime Exchange, an initiative established in 2018 to monitor North Korean maritime violations.
Air Commodore Andy Scott, New Zealand's Air Component Commander, stated that the evidence captured allows authorities to take action against ships potentially operating in contravention of United Nations resolutions. The exchange was detected while the Defence Force monitored for sanctions violations among the group of vessels in the region. However, New Zealand officials have not disclosed the specific nature of the goods transferred during the observed exchange.
North Korea has been subject to United Nations sanctions since 2006 following its first nuclear test, with significant expansions in 2016 and 2017 specifically targeting ship-to-ship transfers and exports. The government typically utilises maritime routes to smuggle refined petroleum imports and to export coal, iron ore, and sand to fund its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. Despite these restrictions, the nation continues to trade goods with a handful of countries, with China remaining its primary customer.
While the activity is described as a possible breach, the final determination of whether the transfer definitively violated specific UN resolutions awaits further analysis by authorities. The specific identities of the vessels involved in the exchange were not released to the public. New Zealand joined the Pacific Security Maritime Exchange in 2018 to assist in monitoring smuggling and illicit maritime activity in the region, noting that North Korea has also been known to sell weapons to Iran and Russia in exchange for oil or hard currency.
