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Man, 49, allegedly provided flag registration services in S’pore to ship transporting prohibited items from North Korea
The director apparently had reasonable grounds to believe that the vessel was involved in transporting prohibited items from North Korea.
August 01, 2026, 04:18 AM
Photos from Unsplash & Vessel Finder
A company and its 49-year-old director were slated to be charged on Jul. 31 for allegedly being involved in providing flag registration services to a vessel transporting prohibited items from North Korea.
This was a contravention of the United Nations (Sanctions – Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) Regulations 2010 under the United Nations Act 2001.
On May 18, 2022, investigations by the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) revealed that the company provided flag registration services in respect of the vessel PETREL 8.
The vessel had been designated by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Oct. 3, 2017 for transporting prohibited items from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
At the time of the offence, the director apparently had reasonable grounds to believe that PETREL 8 was a UNSC-designated vessel involved in transporting prohibited items from the DPRK when the flag registration services were provided.
The company will be charged with one count under Regulation 8D(d)(ii) of the United Nations (Sanctions – DPRK) Regulations 2010.
The company director will be charged with one count for abetting the company to commit the offence.
Penalties
Under the United Nations Act 2001, contravening these regulations carries a jail term of up to 10 years, a fine of up to S$500,000, or both for an individual.
For a company, the offence carries a fine of up to S$1 million.
The United Nations (Sanctions – DPRK) Regulations 2010 under the United Nations Act 2001 give effect to sanctions imposed by the UNSC on the DPRK to curb the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
This includes prohibitions against the provision of services for vessels where there are reasonable grounds to believe the vessels are or were involved in activities that support the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by the DPRK.
The police said Singapore takes its international obligations under UNSC Resolutions seriously and is committed to implementing them fully.
They added that they will not hesitate to take action against any individual or entity that breaches Singapore’s laws and regulations.
