Three vessels sharing the same invalid Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number have been observed making regular voyages between the ship-to-ship (STS) transfer hotspot of Zhoushan to the North Korean port of Nampho over the last six months.

The tanker Yang, cargo ship JS 3, and the “fishing vessel” Spaceon Grace, all vessels without International Maritime Organization (IMO) numbers and country flags, were observed by NK Pro displaying the MMSI number “823456789” via their Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) as they approached Nampho.

The MMSI “823456789,” which cannot be found in the IMO’s databases and begins with an