Shady freighter with Sierra Leone flag spotted in key North Korean ports



News Shady freighter with Sierra Leone flag spotted in key North Korean ports Valiant’s appearance in DPRK ports may indicate ship’s purchase of or attempt to smuggle fossils or arms, experts say Anton Sokolin October 11, 2023 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON A fishing vessel off the coast of Wonsan, Oct. 2016 \| Image: NK News An obscure Sierra Leone-flagged freighter with a murky past appeared in key North Korean ports in what experts described as a possible attempt to smuggle energy resources or weaponry in violation of U.N. sanctions. The 1,361-ton Valiant sailed from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on Sept. 28 and reached North Korea’s largest port of Nampho on Sept. 30 and Songnim — a DPRK port upstream of the Taedong River — on Oct. 4, Marine Traffic data shows. An obscure Sierra Leone-flagged freighter with a murky past appeared in key North Korean ports in what experts described as a possible attempt to smuggle energy resources or weaponry in violation of U.N. sanctions. The 1,361-ton Valiant sailed from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on Sept. 28 and reached North Korea’s largest port of Nampho on Sept. 30 and Songnim — a DPRK port upstream of the Taedong River — on Oct. 4, Marine Traffic data shows. Try unlimited access Only $1 for four weeks Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis Year-one discount if you continue past $1 trial period The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

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Shady freighter with Sierra Leone flag spotted in key North Korean ports

Valiant’s appearance in DPRK ports may indicate ship’s purchase of or attempt to smuggle fossils or arms, experts say

Anton Sokolin October 11, 2023

Shady freighter with Sierra Leone flag spotted in key North Korean ports

A fishing vessel off the coast of Wonsan, Oct. 2016 | Image: NK News

An obscure Sierra Leone-flagged freighter with a murky past appeared in key North Korean ports in what experts described as a possible attempt to smuggle energy resources or weaponry in violation of U.N. sanctions.

The 1,361-ton Valiant sailed from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on Sept. 28 and reached North Korea’s largest port of Nampho on Sept. 30 and Songnim — a DPRK port upstream of the Taedong River — on Oct. 4, Marine Traffic data shows.

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Shady freighter with Sierra Leone flag spotted in key North Korean ports

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