News Sudden appearance of new North Korean ship points to identify-spoofing schemeFake identifiers link vessel to Thae Song 8, a cargo ship tied to coal smuggling that may be seeking to evade sanctions A new North Korean cargo ship appeared all of a sudden in the country’s main port of Nampho, ship-tracking data shows, boasting fake identifiers that suggest it engaged in an identity-laundering scheme with a known sanctions buster. According to maritime database Fleetmon, a ship broadcasting as the DPRK-flagged “Buyang 6” appeared in Nampho in mid-November, where it proceeded to dock next to a coal-loading conveyor belt. Radio data shows the ship’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) number to be 9587434 — but this number fails an authenticity check algorithm, and no ships associated with the number or name appear © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. |