MANILA — The Philippines said on Saturday it had seized a
North Korean freighter that was covered by harsher United Nations'
sanctions against Pyongyang over its nuclear program.
Manila will also deport the vessel's 21 North Korean crew
and will await a U.N. inspection team from the United Nations, foreign
ministry spokesman Charles Jose said in a text message.
"In compliance with the United Nations resolution, the
North Korean ship in Subic will be impounded and not allowed to leave
port," he said.
The 6,830 deadweight tonne (dwt) cargo ship Jin Teng was
one of the first sanctioned North Korean ships to enter a foreign port
since the tightened sanctions were passed unanimously by the U.N.
Security Council on Wednesday. Thirty-one North Korean ships are on the
list.
"The world is concerned over North Korea's nuclear weapons
program and as a member of the UN, the Philippines has to do its part
to enforce the sanctions," said Manolo Quezon, deputy presidential
spokesman told reporters.
The ship, flying a Sierra Leone flag, arrived on Feb. 27 and was unloading palm kernels.
"We have sent teams to guard the ship until we get the
formal order from the government," said Commander Armand Balilo, coast
guard spokesman.
On Friday, the coast guard barred the ship from leaving port, citing safety deficiencies found during an inspection.
The inspection was conducted after the U.N. passed the resolution against Pyongyang.
The U.N. resolution said the 31 ships were "economic
resources controlled or operated by Ocean Maritime Management and
therefore subject to the asset freeze".
The Jin Teng has called at Palembang, Indonesia, and
Kaohsiung, Taiwan, since the beginning of this year, ship tracking data
available on the Reuters Eikon Terminal showed.
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