THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: North Korean shipments to Syria intercepted according to UN report

Two North Korean shipments heading to a Syrian government agency responsible for the country's chemical weapons programme were intercepted in the past six months, according to a confidential United Nations report on North Korea sanctions violations.

The report by a panel of independent experts, which was submitted to the UNSC earlier this month, gave no details on when or where the interdictions occurred or what the shipments contained.

In a 37-page report, the panel is investigating reported prohibited chemical, ballistic missile, and conventional arms cooperation between Syria and the Korean Peninsula. Two member states interdicted Syria-bound shipments while another member state informed the panel that it had reasons to believe that the goods were part of a KOMID contract with Syria.

KOMID is the Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation, which was blacklisted by the Security Council eight years ago and described as Pyongyang’s key arms dealer and exporter of equipment related to ballistic missiles and conventional weapons. In March 2016 the council also blacklisted two KOMID representatives in Syria.

According to the UN experts, the consignees are Syrian entities designated as shell companies for Syria's Scientific Studies and Research Centre, which has overseen the country's chemical weapons programme since the 1970's.

Source: Reuters