A Royal New Zealand Navy task group has joined international efforts to enforce United Nations sanctions on North Korea, conducting maritime patrols in international waters in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea to monitor vessels suspected of sanctions evasion.
New Zealand is a member of the Pacific Security Maritime Exchange, a multinational partnership focused on identifying and reporting activities intended to circumvent UN Security Council measures targeting North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
The task group is deployed to the Indo-Pacific for three months, carrying out a range of maritime operations, exercises and regional engagements. The deployment marks the first time the frigate Te Mana has taken part in UN sanctions monitoring operations.
The patrols involve monitoring vessels suspected of transporting refined petroleum to North Korea or exporting commodities including coal, iron ore and sand, which can provide revenue linked to the country’s weapons programmes.
During the operation, the Royal New Zealand Navy’s tanker Aotearoa also operated in the area, conducting six at-sea replenishments for Te Mana and vessels from partner nations.
Over the course of the deployment, Te Mana covered approximately 180,000 square nautical miles, monitored seven vessels of interest and broadcast 60 maritime radio messages as part of efforts to deter and identify potential sanctions-evasion activity.
Tracking sanctions evasion at sea
North Korea has been accused of using a range of maritime methods to circumvent sanctions, including ship-to-ship transfers and the use of vessels operating as part of a shadow fleet.
Authorities monitoring sanctions evasion have identified tactics such as disabling or manipulating automatic identification system (AIS) signals, spoofing vessel positions, altering or concealing vessel identities and changing draft readings to obscure the nature or quantity of cargo being carried.
Ship-to-ship transfers at sea can also make it more difficult for authorities to establish the origin and final destination of sanctioned cargo.
Maritime Component Commander Commodore Shane Arndell said Te Mana’s participation demonstrated the frigate’s ability to carry out a range of missions, including sanctions monitoring and other maritime security operations.
New Zealand has contributed to international efforts to monitor suspected sanctions violations involving North Korea since 2018. Its contribution has included maritime patrols conducted by both aircraft and naval vessels.
The latest deployment adds a New Zealand surface warship to the international maritime effort to monitor activity in waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula and identify suspected attempts to circumvent UN sanctions.