On 3rd August, the Bailiwick Express reported that 2 men who have been extradited to the island – one from the UK and the other from Bahrain –Russell King, 59, and Paul Barber, 55, have appeared in Jersey’s Royal Court in connection with an alleged multi-million fraud involving Belgravia Financial Services Group dating back to 2008.
Day: August 3, 2018
PIRACY ON THE RISE IN THE GULF OF GUINEA INCLUDING “PETRO-PIRACY” OIL THEFT
Defence Web on 3rd August reported that pirates have kidnapped 35 seafarers off Nigeria in the first half of 2018 as piracy continues to be problematic in the Gulf of Guinea, with Nigeria the focus of attacks. According to the EOS Risk Group, Nigeria continues to be the world’s epicentre for piracy activity. An analyst for EOS Risk group is quoted as saying that most concerning this year has been the resurgence of ‘petro-piracy’, involving the hijacking of tankers for oil theft. To mitigate the risk, EOS recommends Masters implement Global Counter Piracy Guidance (GCPG) measures and where additional protection is required, they say shipping companies may require armed escort vessels and embarked guards where domestic law permits.
Details of the Global Counter Piracy Guidance (GCPG) measures can be found at –
https://www.eosrisk.com/insights/industry-news/new-global-counter-piracy-guidelines-bmp5-launched
The report can be accessed at –
REPORT DETAILS WAYS HUMAN TRAFFICKERS LAUNDER PROCEEDS
The Wall Street Journal on 2nd August published a short article referring to a report from FATF and the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering that, inter alia, how proceeds from trafficking are being laundered. FATF cited a statistic from the International Labor Organization (ILO) that found the proceeds generated through human trafficking increased $150 billion in 2017, a fivefold jump from $32 billion the FATF calculated in its 2011 report. It says that the report suggests ways the risk could be countered –
- with partnerships between the public sector, private sector, civil society and non-profit organisations to help detect and prevent human trafficking and money laundering; and
- better co-ordination within government between those combating human trafficking and those combating financial crime to ensure the full range of financial analysis tools are used to help detect human-trafficking networks.
The FATF report is at –
http://www.fatf-gafi.org/publications/methodsandtrends/documents/human-trafficking.html
OFAC TARGETS RUSSIAN BANK AND OTHER FACILITATORS OF NORTH KOREAN UN SANCTIONS VIOLATIONS
On 3rd August, OFAC announced it had designated –
- Russian-registered Agrosoyuz Commercial Bank (Agrosoyuz) for knowingly conducting or facilitating a significant transaction on behalf of Han Jang Su, the Moscow-based chief representative of Foreign Trade Bank (FTB), North Korea’s primary foreign exchange bank
- Ri Jong Won, the Moscow-based deputy representative of FTB;
- Dandong Zhongsheng Industry & Trade Co., Ltd. (Zhongsheng) – an associated FTB front company; and
- Korea Ungum Corporation (Ungum) – an associated FTB front company
Both Han Jang Su and FTB were already designated by the US and by the UN Sanctions Committee established pursuant to UN SCR 1718 (2006).
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm454
https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20180803.aspx
DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE LARGEST POPULATION OF NORTH KOREANS OUTSIDE NORTH KOREA ARE BASED?
New Malden in Surrey, a London suburb, which already had a sizeable Korean community – there had been a South Korean embassy there. In 2015, it was said to be 10,000 Koreans in that one suburb, including then 700 North Koreans. Now the Guardian has released a podcast about a new documentary, “Little Pyongyang”.
https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2018/aug/03/doc-tales-little-pyongyang-the-story-podcast
See also –
ALLEGED NORTH KOREA OIL SMUGGLING VESSEL OWNER SUES HK MARINE DEPARTMENT
Seatrade Marine News on 2nd August reported that Win More Shipping has filed documents charging that the Hong Kong Marine Department (Mardep) had failed to demand the return of the 11,253 dwt Hong Kong-flagged product tanker Lighthouse Winmore and that this was illegal. Win More further alleged that Mardep had also failed to write to the UN to ask for the ship’s release, even though the company had explained that it was innocent. It is claimed that South Korean authorities were willing to release the ship “if the (UN) committee decides, on a case-by-case basis and upon the request of the flag state, that adequate arrangements have been made to prevent the vessel contributing to future violations”. Win More claimed that Mardep planned to deregister its vessel because Bureau Veritas had withdrawn its class certification, which the company added, the classification society in turn had done because it feared the allegations against Win More would hurt its reputation and business. The 2014-built vessel was seized and inspected by South Korean authorities on November 24th, when it returned to the port of Yeosu after returning from a voyage it was supposed to have made to Taiwan, for allegedly transferring 600 tonnes of refined petroleum products to North Korean vessel Sam Jong 2 in international waters in the Yellow Sea in late October.
See also –
http://www.seatrade-maritime.com/news/asia/27293.html?highlight=Im5vcnRoIGtvcmVhIg==
“MISSILE COMPONENTS” FOR IRAN SEIZED AT HEATHROW AIRPORT
The National in UAE on 2nd August reported that British officials had seized dual-use components destined for Iran’s missile industry at Heathrow as part of counter-proliferation operations. Officials said the seizure had now become part of a sanctions enforcement investigation into suspected violations of the UN sanctions regime. It says that officials speaking to the London Evening Standard said that the Heathrow Airport bust took place on a shipment of O-rings, the rubber sealant equipment, that were apparently bound for an Iranian oil industry facility. Monique Wrench, the UK Border Force’s deputy director at Heathrow Airport, said the shipment was stopped when staff became suspicious the rings could be used for making missiles.
https://www.thenational.ae/world/missile-components-for-iran-seized-at-heathrow-airport-1.756586
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