The U.S. seized one of North Korea's largest bulk carrier vessels for allegedly shipping illicit coal and heavy machinery in violation of U.S. and UN sanctions. The seizure of the North Korean bulk carrier ship "Wise Honest" is the first such action against a North Korean cargo vessel. According to the DOJ, the ship's operators allegedly employed sanctions-evading tactics including the deactivation of its automatic identification system in order to avoid tracking. OFAC and other agencies had highlighted this and other tactics in a November 2018 Advisory to the Maritime Petroleum Shipping Community.
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