North Korea delivers illicit coal to China through one of its largest cargo ships; Report

The images captured by satellite have raised suspicions that North Korea's largest cargo ships have delivered illegal coal to the Chinese port of Longkou and returned with white-bagged cargo. According to the NK Pro news report, this satellite imagery and ship-tracking data suggest that this is a sign that both countries are involved in some kind of barter exchange. However, this is not the first time that such transactions have been observed.

Earlier, in March, satellite images from PlanetLabs revealed that a large vessel was docked directly adjacent to a conveyor and connected directly to a 1,000 square foot coal depot. The secretive unloads were held between March 7 and March 10 and on March 13, when it was captured on satellite that a large carrier was moving away from Nampho and toward Longo Ku.

One of North Korea’s largest cargo ships delivers illicit coal in China: Report

It is important to mention that previous UN reports have cited various incidents of ships coming from North Korea and unloading illegal coal at Longkou (or Ningbo-Zhoushan in the south) and then loading up with fertilizer, rice, and other goods before returning to Nampho. Notably, these transactions are conducted through a barter exchange, which the UN sanctions monitors call "a common sanctions evasion tactic in order to avoid funds transferred recorded in the international financial system," reported NK Pro news.

If reports are to be believed, only three North Korean vessels have been spotted at Nampho in early March, and that includes the Rina, Mi Rae 1 (IMO 8649840), and Ryong Rim (IMO 8018912). It is worth noting that the Mi Rae 1's GPS system has been disabled. The AIS data reveals that between March 29 and April 18, Rina docked next to a coal terminal at Longkou, which raises the question of whether North Korea may be delivering illegal coal to China. The satellite images also show that ships are loaded with white-colored cargo, which is likely to be bags of some kind containing some goods. The North Korean vessel docked at Longkou, but its visit to a coal conveyor in Nampho indicates that both the nations are involved in some illicit goods supply. However, till now there has been no official confirmation regarding this development. 

Image: AP/ Representative