Potential Illegal Ship to Ship Transfers of Goods by North Korean Tanker

Hirokazu Watanabe -
T o k y o ,   J a p a n - 

Ship-to-ship transfers banned by UNSCR: transfers of
goods or items to or from DPRK-flagged vessels at sea.
AN SAN 1 and a vessel of unknown nationality lying
alongside each other and connecting hoses.

Suspicion of illegal ship-to-ship transfers of goods by ‘AN SAN 1', North Korean-flagged tanker, and vessel of unknown nationality took place in the East China Sea.

Today it was confirmed that in the afternoon of January 18, 2019, a AOE ‘OUMI' (Replenishment at Sea Squadron 1: Sasebo) of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force found that ‘AN SAN 1' (IMO number: 7303803), North Korean-flagged tanker, was lying alongside a vessel of unknown nationality on the high sea (around 410km south offshore of Shanghai) in the East China Sea.

Judging from the fact that the two vessels lay alongside each other and connected hoses, both vessels could have been engaged in some type of activity. Following a comprehensive assessment, the Government of Japan strongly suspects that they conducted ship-to-ship transfers banned by UNSCR.

In March 2018, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to Resolution 1718 designated AN SAN 1 as a vessel subject to assets freeze and prohibited from port entry.

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