A U.S. federal court ordered on Friday the seizure of an oil tanker owned by a Singaporean, accused of delivering shipments to North Korea in violation of U.S. sanctions imposed on Pyongyang. The U.S. Department of Justice stated in a press release, citing court documents, that the tanker "MT Coriges" transported petroleum products to vessels flying the North Korean flag and delivered shipments to the Nampo port in North Korea.
A federal judge in New York issued a ruling to detain the oil tanker, allowing the United States to seize the ship, which is currently docked in Cambodia. The federal judge's order in New York means that the U.S. government now owns the vessel.
According to the statement, the Singaporean, Kwek Kee Seng, purchased the 2,734-ton vessel, noting that he is wanted and has not yet been arrested. The Department of Justice stated that "Kwek and his associates are involved in a vast network to evade U.S. and U.N. sanctions, using ships they own to smuggle fuel to North Korea, thus providing a vital resource for the North Korean government."
It added that "MT Coriges" may have been purchased using U.S. dollars that passed through U.S. banks "without their knowledge." Between August and December 2019, the oil tanker illegally ceased transmitting its location information. Satellite images revealed that during this time, the tanker conducted oil transfers worth over $1.5 million to a North Korean vessel.
The administration accused Kwek of trying to conceal the scheme using shell companies and lying to international shipping authorities while providing false information about the oil tanker "Coriges." The U.S. Department of Justice charged Kwek with conspiracy to evade economic sanctions imposed on North Korea and for money laundering.
Cambodian authorities have detained the tanker under a U.S. warrant since it docked there in March 2020. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York filed a civil lawsuit to seize the tanker on April 23.
Relations between Washington and Pyongyang remain tense. North Korea's foreign minister ruled out the possibility of talks with the U.S. in June, stating that such dialogue "would lead us nowhere." Negotiations between the two countries have been stalled for a long time due to international sanctions imposed on the nuclear-armed state and what North Korea must give up in exchange for lifting them.
North Korea's economy has faced difficulties for years due to international sanctions imposed in response to its prohibited military programs, including its nuclear program. At the end of June, the U.S. special representative for North Korea called on U.N. Security Council members to strictly enforce resolutions against Pyongyang aimed at reducing North Korea's oil imports as well as its exports, particularly coal, textiles, and fish.
