UK Says It Has Evidence of Ships Breaching North Korea Weapons Sanctions

Britain's Defence Secretary Ben Wallace leaves Downing Street in London on Sept. 7, 2021. Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images

The British navy said on Sunday that “multiple ships of various nationalities” have broken U.N. sanctions targeting North Korea’s Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programmes.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said its Type 23 Royal Navy frigate HMS Richmond—which was detached from the Carrier Strike Group 21 (CSG21) to take part in U.N. sanctions enforcement operations in the Indo-Pacific region—captured evidence of ships “apparently breaching U.N. sanctions” and collected updated intelligence on other ships of interest. The MoD said the evidence has been submitted to the U.N. Enforcement Coordination Cell.