News Content
Chinpo Shipping fined US$125,698 in Singapore over arms shipment
SINGAPORE-based Chinpo Shipping Company (Private) Ltd has been fined S$180,000 (US$125,698) by the Singapore District Court for violating United Nations sanctions by helping to arrange a shipment to North Korea of Cuban missile parts and two MiG-21 jet fighters hidden under thousands of tons of sugar. The shipment was seized in Panama in 2013.
The court had found Chinpo guilty in December of transferring financial assets or resources that could have been used to contribute to North Korea's nuclear and missile weapon programmes. It also found Chinpo guilty of carrying out a remittance business without a license between 2009 and 2013, reported Reuters.
A March 2014 UN report said Chinpo Shipping acted as the agent for a Pyongyang-based company that operated the vessel, and North Korean diplomatic personnel in Cuba arranged the shipping of the concealed cargo.
Commenting on the ruling lawyer Edmond Pereira, representing Chinpo Shipping, said: "I think that the fines were on the high side because they didn't know how much the weapons were worth," he said. "They were not nuclear weapons and they seemed so old, like antiques that belonged in a museum."
"Singapore is a responsible member of the international community," said District Court Judge Jasvender Kaur. "The company had no due diligence and such irresponsible conduct must be deterred."
Following the seizure by Panama of the Chong Chon Gang ship for smuggling the Soviet-era arms, Cuba acknowledged it was sending "obsolete" Soviet-era weapons to be repaired in North Korea and returned to Cuba.
The court had found Chinpo guilty in December of transferring financial assets or resources that could have been used to contribute to North Korea's nuclear and missile weapon programmes. It also found Chinpo guilty of carrying out a remittance business without a license between 2009 and 2013, reported Reuters.
A March 2014 UN report said Chinpo Shipping acted as the agent for a Pyongyang-based company that operated the vessel, and North Korean diplomatic personnel in Cuba arranged the shipping of the concealed cargo.
Commenting on the ruling lawyer Edmond Pereira, representing Chinpo Shipping, said: "I think that the fines were on the high side because they didn't know how much the weapons were worth," he said. "They were not nuclear weapons and they seemed so old, like antiques that belonged in a museum."
"Singapore is a responsible member of the international community," said District Court Judge Jasvender Kaur. "The company had no due diligence and such irresponsible conduct must be deterred."
Following the seizure by Panama of the Chong Chon Gang ship for smuggling the Soviet-era arms, Cuba acknowledged it was sending "obsolete" Soviet-era weapons to be repaired in North Korea and returned to Cuba.
Latest News
- For the first time, tianjin Port realized the whole process of dock operati...
- From January to August, piracy incidents in Asia increased by 38%!The situa...
- Quasi-conference TSA closes as role redundant in mega merger world
- Singapore says TPP, born again as CPTPP, is now headed for adoption
- Antwerp posts 5th record year with boxes up 4.3pc to 10 million TEU
- Savannah lifts record 4 million TEU in '17 as it deepens port
