In a North Korean arms smuggling case uncovered in the United States in 2024, a Hong Kong-based smuggling organization was found to be involved. This group secretly mixed firearms procured in the U.S. into the belongings of a returning North Korean diplomat, sending them to North Korea. Reports indicate that the organization continues its smuggling operations, taking advantage of lax international monitoring.
According to the Yomiuri Shimbun on November 2, the process of receiving firearms sourced from the U.S. and transferring them to North Korea involved Hong Kong traders, cargo ship owners, and shipping operators. The newspaper reported on the roles and specific transportation methods based on testimonies from multiple sources.
Previously, a Chinese national acting under the direction of North Korean authorities was caught smuggling firearms from the U.S. to North Korea via Hong Kong in 2024. This individual was convicted in August of the previous year. According to U.S. prosecutors, he sent a shipment containing firearms from the Port of Long Beach, California, to Hong Kong in December 2023. The firearms arrived in Hong Kong around January 1, 2024, before being transported to North Korea. The export of weapons to North Korea is prohibited under United Nations Security Council sanctions.
Sources indicate that the key figure leading the transportation from Hong Kong to North Korea was Chai, the actual manager of the Hong Kong-based receiving company, Yuling Trading Co., Ltd.
Chai was able to mix the firearms into the diplomat's belongings because he was the shipping agent for the diplomats' personal effects. Sources revealed that he was responsible for transporting the belongings of diplomats returning to North Korea after the closure of the North Korean consulate in Hong Kong in 2023. He waited for the firearms to arrive from the U.S. and loaded them onto the cargo ship 'Senrich' (registered in Sierra Leone at the time) along with the diplomats' belongings.
The firearms were declared as 'refrigerators' and 'kitchenware.' According to sources, this was a disguise based on the assumption that customs in Hong Kong would not closely inspect the belongings of diplomats due to simplified import-export procedures. They explained that the North Korean diplomats were unaware of the smuggling operation. However, it has not been confirmed whether the diplomats were actually unaware.
The smuggling organization consisted of civilians connected through business. Sources indicated that Chai became involved in North Korean smuggling after meeting Wang, a Taiwanese national who effectively owned Senrich, while working at a trucking company in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, China. Liang, a Chinese national and the actual manager of the shipping company Tianma Shipping Co., Ltd., was also involved in the smuggling through the two.
The legitimacy of the companies they presented was also unclear. A Yomiuri reporter visited the registered address of Yuling Trading Co., Ltd. in September of this year, but the company was nonexistent, and nearby businesses stated they had never heard of it. One source explained that many companies related to smuggling are either paper companies without substance or have representatives listed only nominally.
Experts have deemed the testimonies of these sources credible. Katsuhisa Furukawa, a former member of the UN Security Council's panel of experts on North Korean sanctions, analyzed various materials provided to the Yomiuri by sources and U.S. indictment records. He stated that there is 'reasonable and credible substantial evidence' supporting these testimonies.
Ship Laundering
The ship used for transporting the firearms, Senrich, has since changed its name and registration, now operating as the Gambian-registered 'Blue Tower' as of September this year. Furukawa noted that frequently changing names and registrations, known as 'ship laundering,' is a common tactic used by smuggling organizations to evade detection.
According to the Yomiuri, Blue Tower has exhibited unusual behavior, such as turning off its Automatic Identification System (AIS) when nearing the Yellow Sea after leaving Hong Kong. Furukawa pointed out that the ship has almost no record of actually visiting ports reported as its destinations, such as those in South Korea, suggesting it is likely making secret stops at North Korean ports.
Sources indicated that smuggling vessels based in Hong Kong often falsely declare their destination as Incheon Port in South Korea while actually heading to Nampo Port in western North Korea. They reportedly turn off their AIS during the voyage to conceal their trajectory toward North Korea.
Sources revealed that this organization is still active with at least four cargo ships, including Blue Tower. Recently, there has been a notable increase in the transportation of steel, which is prohibited for export to North Korea, and there are indications that they may be planning to smuggle oil from Malaysia to North Korea.
The intermediary trade system in Hong Kong is also being exploited for smuggling. According to the Yomiuri, under a system introduced by Hong Kong authorities to facilitate shipping companies, the responsibility for verifying the contents and origin of cargo passing through Hong Kong lies with the final destination port. Smuggling vessels often take advantage of weekends; one source noted that they typically arrive in Hong Kong on Friday nights, loading cargo over the weekend before departing, as monitoring by Hong Kong maritime authorities is less stringent during this time.
The Yomiuri pointed out that these smuggling organizations have been effectively left unchecked since the UN expert panel was disbanded. The panel, which monitored the enforcement of North Korean sanctions, ceased operations in late April 2024 after Russia vetoed a resolution to extend its mandate. However, the Security Council's sanctions against North Korea remain in effect, and 11 countries, including South Korea and the United States, have formed a multinational sanctions monitoring team (MSMT) to continue monitoring violations. Furukawa emphasized the need for all UN member states, including China, to seize related vessels and implement asset freeze measures in accordance with Security Council resolutions.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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