Vessels are docking adjacent to large mountains of coal that have accumulated in the Rajin harbor in northeast North Korea, pictures and satellite imagery seen by NK Pro show, though it remains unclear if they are loading the commodity or exporting it to third countries.

UN sanctions have since August last year prohibited North Korea from exporting coal and a number of other key commodities, a measure which the U.S. previously estimated could wipe off up to a third of the country’s USD$3 billion worth of annual exports.

Photos obtained by NK Pro