Panama imposes $1 mln fine on N. Korean arms-smuggling ship

Panama imposes $1 mln fine on N. Korean arms-smuggling ship
August 16, 2013 - 11:26 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Panama Canal authority has decided to impose an up
to $1 million fine on a North Korean ship seized in July on suspicion of
illegal arms-trafficking, RIA Novosti reported citing the Latin American
media.
Officials boarded the Chong Chon Gang freighter on July 10 as it entered
the Panama Canal and discovered 25 undeclared containers with military
hardware covered by sacks of brown sugar from Cuba.
"It is a flagrant violation of safe passage through the Panama Canal and
we have no tolerance for this kind of activity," the media quoted canal
administrator Jorge Quijano as saying.
According to Quijano, the case of the North Korean freighter "is very
serious" and it could lead to a fine of up to $1 million, although the
authorities are still discussing the actual size of the fine.
Panama has earlier charged the ship's captain and 35 crew members with
"attempts against Panama's security" and "illegally transporting
undeclared military equipment."
A group of experts from the UN Security Council committee that monitors
sanctions against North Korea has arrived in Panama to determine whether
the freighter violated a UN arms embargo imposed on Pyongyang over its
nuclear and missile ambitions.
Both Pyongyang and Havana had admitted that the ship carried obsolete
weapons to be repaired in North Korea and returned to Cuba under a
legitimate contract. The sugar was intended as the payment from Cuba to
North Korea for repair services.
The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the vessel had two
anti-aircraft missile complexes, nine missile parts and spares, two
Mig-21 Bis and 15 motors for those planes, all manufactured in the
mid-20th century.

Source: "Panama imposes $1 mln fine on N. Korean arms-smuggling ship -
PanARMENIAN.Net" - http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/168388/