The "Wise Honest," North Korea's second largest cargo ship, was detained during an April 2018 stop in Indonesia and will be moved to American Samoa, Justice Department officials said
North Korea's second largest cargo ship 'Wise Honest'. Pic/AFP
Washington: The US said Thursday it has seized a North Korean cargo ship that was used to violate international sanctions, a first-of-its kind enforcement action that comes tense moment in relations between the two countries. The "Wise Honest," North Korea's second largest cargo ship, was detained during an April 2018 stop in Indonesia and will be moved to American Samoa, Justice Department officials said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Officials made the announcement hours after the North Korea fired two suspected short-range missiles toward the sea, a second weapons launch in five days and a possible signal that stalled talks over its nuclear weapons program are in trouble. Justice Department lawyers laid out the case for confiscating the ship in a complaint filed in New York, arguing that payments for maintenance and operation of the vessel were channeled through US financial institutions in violation of American law. "This sanctions-busting ship is now out of service," said Assistant Attorney General John Demers, the Justice Department's top national security official.
The timing of the complaint was unrelated to the missile launch, US officials said. The 581-foot (177 meters) Wise Honest was used to transport North Korean coal to China, Russia and other countries, generating badly needed revenue to a country that is under UN sanctions because of its nuclear weapons program. North Korea sought to disguise the ship's operations by listing various other countries for its nationality and the origin of its cargo, according to the complaint.
Indonesian authorities intercepted and seized the Wise Honest in the East China Sea a month after it was photographed at the port of Nampo, North Korea, where it took on a load of coal. The US has prosecuted people and businesses for violating sanctions but has never before seized a North Korean ship. The country will have an opportunity to contest the seizure in court. If the US prevails, it will be able to sell the vessel. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have held two summits focused on the North's nuclear program but have made no discernible progress toward a deal that would eliminate its weapons.
Top News Stories Of The Day
- Factory owner kidnapped in filmy style from Palghar
- Mumbai Crime: Failed actor turns to chain snatching in local trains
- Tiger found dead in Melghat reserve
- Highway Gomantak in Bandra fight with hsg society over maintenance
- 6 dead as cars crash head-on trying to avoid biker near Palghar
- Toxic gas, lack of safety equipment cost workers their lives in Thane
- Byculla museum death: BMC orders probe, cops to wait before action
- Mumbai Crime: 63-yr-old doctor gets bail in molestation case in Bandra
- Mumbai volunteers refused space to stock up relief materials for Odisha
- Now, meds at Mumbai civic hospitals to have MCGM mark and bar, QR codes
- Maharashtra scientist discovers Mizo rain snake
- Mumbai: Law students relieved as GLC agrees to have retest
- Praveen Pardeshi to be new BMC chief
- After HC order, cops finally file FIR against 19-year-old's parents
- The dark side: Have you seen these 12 most haunted places in Mumbai?
- Himanshu Roy death anniversary: Mumbai's top cop whose life was cut short by suicide
- Kelly and Kody: The couple's steamy and dreamy photos are too hot to handle!
Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
