North Korea tanker spotted engaging in suspected illicit cargo transfer

A North Korean tanker has been observed engaging in an illicit ship-to-ship cargo transfer in the East China Sea, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said Friday.The tanker, spotted alongside a vessel of unknown nationality on the high seas Tuesday by a Japanese Self-Defense Force supply ship, is subject to U.N. sanctions imposed in response to North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile tests.The North Korean ship and the other vessel, bearing what appeared to be a Chinese flag, were connected with a hose in waters about 400 kilometers south-southeast of Shanghai, the ministry said.Tokyo has rep…READ FULL ARTICLE