It has been reported that North Korea is smuggling in large quantities of industrial machinery and transportation vehicles, bypassing the international community’s sanctions against North Korea. Sources said that these activities are mainly taking place in the border area between North Korea and China, and that the main items are used agricultural machinery, passenger cars, and trucks.
On the 8th, a source from Hamgyeongbuk-do told the NK Times, “Recently, large quantities of used agricultural machinery and trucks are being brought in through national smuggling from North Korea-China border areas such as Hoeryeong City and Musan County.” He added, “On average, more than 100 driving equipment are being smuggled in per month.” He said.
The source continued, “80% of smuggled driving equipment is passenger cars and trucks, and 20% is agricultural machinery.” He added, “Smuggled vehicles and machinery go through a five-day inspection process by the Security Department and are returned to trading companies (or donju). “They are being sent to all parts of the country, including Pyongyang, Chongjin, Hamheung, and Pyongsong,” he said.
Such smuggling activities also occurred in the Ryanggang Province region.
In relation to this, a Ryanggang Province source said on the 8th, “Since last February, a large number of passenger cars and cargo have been brought into areas such as Hwajeon, Samjiyeon, Samsu-gun, and Kim Jeong-suk-gun,” adding, “If you add up the number of vehicles brought in from each region, the average is 130 per month. “It’s too much,” he told NK Times.
He continued, “The imported means of transport are returned to their owners (trading companies or donju) after five days of inspection by the Security Department, and are then sent to major cities across the country, including Pyongyang, Nampo, Haeju, and Sariwon.”
The source said, “Recently, a lot of transportation equipment has been mobilized to construction sites to promote automation and the ‘2010’ economic development policy by anti-military organizations, including the Worker-Peasant Red Guard,” and added, “Because of this situation, each factory and farm is experiencing a shortage of operating equipment. “And the authorities have recently been promoting national smuggling on a large scale as part of a project to solve this problem,” he said.
These smuggling activities clearly violate the UN Security Council’s resolution on sanctions against North Korea. Security Council Resolution 2397 on sanctions against North Korea, adopted in December 2017, prohibits the direct or indirect supply and sale of transportation means to North Korea.
***This article was translated by Google and may differ from the content of this article.
