The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) is investigating a Taiwanese man who was on Friday sanctioned by the US for allegedly helping North Korea procure fuel in contravention of UN sanctions.
The ministry on Saturday evening said that it is reviewing evidence to determine whether to impose targeted financial sanctions on Chen Shih-huan (陳詩煥) for allegedly contravening the Counter-Terrorism Financing Act (資恐防制法).
The US Office of Foreign Assets Control said it sanctioned two people and three entities for their alleged involvement in the delivery of refined petroleum to North Korea, which US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said “directly supports the development of DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] weapons programs and its military.”
Photo: AFP
The sanctions targeted two Singapore-registered companies — Anfasar Trading (S) Pte and Swanseas Port Services Pte — and the Marshall Islands-registered New Eastern Shipping Co, as well as Chen and Kwek Kee Seng of Singapore, the US Department of State said in a statement on Friday.
“By designating these entities and individuals, the United States is sending a clear message that we will continue to take actions against those who support the development and sustainment of the DPRK’s military and weapons arsenal,” Blinken said.
The US Department of the Treasury said that the sanctions restrict the companies, Chen and Kwek from engaging in financial transactions in the US or with US entities due to their involvement in the ownership or management of a vessel that had allegedly participated in several deliveries of refined petroleum to the DPRK.
The alleged deliveries contravened UN Security Council resolutions prohibiting ship-to-ship transfers with North Korean vessels and that cap the country’s refined petroleum imports, the State Department said.
The US sanctions came amid an escalating series of missile tests by North Korea, which has fired 41 ballistic missiles so far this year, including the provocative launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan on Oct. 4.
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