Japan has suspected North Korea and Maldives of moving contraband between two sea-tankers.
According to NK News, the Japanese government on Tuesday had published further evidence of North Korean vessels engaged in ship-to-ship (STS) transfers on high seas which is prohibited under UN Security Council sanctions.
Multiple websites local to Japan had published news and imagery of two vessels engaged in ship-to-ship transfer, while one was identified as a North Korean vessel the other had a Maldivian flag flying on it.
“At midnight on February 24, 2018, a P-3C aircraft of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (Fleet Air Wing 1 P-3C: Kanoya) found that Chon Ma San, North Korean-flagged tanker, was lying alongside Xin Yuan 18, Maldivian-flagged tanker, on the high sea (around 250 km eastern offshore of Shanghai) in the East China Sea,” Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on its website, adding “following a comprehensive assessment, the Government of Japan strongly suspects that they conducted ship-to-ship transfers banned by UNSCR.”
The UNSCR 2375 unanimously adopted on September 11, 2017 banned all STS transfers.
Member states are made mandatory to prohibit their nationals, entities and vessels flying their flags from "facilitating or engaging in ship-to-ship transfers to or from DPRK-flagged vessels of any goods or items that are being supplied, sold, or transferred to or from the DPRK.”
North Korea suffers multiple sanctioning mainly headed by United States for its continued development and deployment of nuclear armament, thus high-sea ship to ship transfers to North Korean vessels are prohibited.
For long US along with Japan and South Korea had suspected Asian monolith China of clandestinely providing military and technical support through 'shady' deals.
Under president Abdulla Yameen's administration Maldives state has moved towards a tighter bond with China. The STS incident involving a Maldives ship could definitely spark further red flags in the already tensed situation - which initiated after India and China are seeming at each other's nape over Maldives political strife.
India's foreign policy strongly identifies US as an ally and are mostly seen backing the West giant on international matters.
