When inspectors went aboard, they found two dozen crew members and registration documents indicating a different country of origin — North Korea. Many countries agree that a nuclear North Korea represents a grave threat to global security. “If they see North Korean coal is cheaper to buy because it’s illegal, there’s an increased profit margin,” he said. Part of that money was a commission payment for helping arrange sale of the Wise Honest coal, Griffiths said. A U.N. member state told Griffiths’s team it believed the petroleum was destined for North Korea.

Source: Washington Post April 24, 2019 23:09 UTC