The Panel of Experts (PoE) pursuant to Resolution 1718, tasked with investigation North Korean sanctions breaches, has assessed that North Korea “uses air transport routes for its illicit trade of proscribed items” and that it is believed to use air cargo “to handle high valued and sensitive arms exports”.

But while existing resolutions include designations of North Korean companies and transport vessels involved in sanction breaches, Air Koryo – the country’s only commercial airline – is not one of them.

Two recent cases documented in the panel’s annual reports detail the discovery of SCUD missile parts