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North Korea: ‘Hao Fan 6’ ship banned by UN, then disappears
A NORTH KOREAN cargo ship caught up in UN sanctions disappeared from radar for a month before winding up hundreds of kilometres away going around in circles. The Hao Fan 6, a 140m vessel, was last tracked on October 10, the day it was banned from entering every single port in the world and punished for violating sanctions on North Korea. According to US broadcaster CNN, the ship disappeared off South Korea with its transponder pinging continuously until 11.17pm Coordinated Universal Time (CUT). A month later, Hao Fan 6’s signal was detected in the East China Sea, hundreds of kilometres away from its last location. The ship’s transponder was switched off for the rest of the month and according to one expert this isn’t entirely uncommon for vessels engaging in illegal behaviour. Middlebury Institute of International Studies senior research associate Andrea Berger told CNN: “There is little that can be done to prevent captains independently switching them off.” Transponders, a mandatory international requirement for large vessels, can be switched off during times of threat or when trying to remain undecked. http://www.news.com.au/world/asia/north-korea-hao-fan-6-ship-banned-by-un-then-disappears/news-story/033d9f20cdd204d22ac481d7f4e39d52
Four North Korean ships banned from any global port
The United Nations has banned four ships from visiting any global port, after they were found violating sanctions imposed on North Korea, the "Petrel 8", "Hao Fan 6", "Tong San 2" and "Jie Shun". The UN Security Council expanded sanctions on North Korea last month in response to Pyongyang's sixth and largest nuclear test yet. The ban was announced following a UN meeting on Oct 9, 2017. The ships were found transporting prohibited goods. The ban, which went into effect on Oct, did not entail asset freezes or travel bans. In August, a UN resolution banned exports of coal, seafood and iron ore from North Korea. Sanctions were expanded last month to include the export of textiles and North Korean guest workers, as well as a cap on oil imports. The tightening of trade restrictions followed Pyongyang's sixth nuclear test and the firing of two missiles over Japan. North Korea's main economic partner China has signed up to the measures, along with Russia. Both have previously vetoed harsher sanctions on the secretive state.
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