North Korean Oil Smugglers Register Ships in Pacific Nations to Evade Sanctions: Report

There are at least 17 ships registered in the Pacific nations of Palau, Niue, the Cook Islands, and Tuvalu, according to the report.

The North Korean flag flies above the North Korean Embassy in Beijing on March 9, 2018. Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images

North Korean oil smugglers have been registering their ships in Pacific nations and sailing under the flags of those nations to evade sanctions, according to former U.N. experts.

There were at least 17 ships registered in the Pacific nations of Palau, Niue, the Cook Islands, and Tuvalu, the U.S.-based Center for Advanced Defense Studies stated in its sanctions database, which was viewed by Agence France-Presse (AFP).