Statement by the Government of Maldives in response to suspicions of illegal ship-to-ship transfer of goods by tankers Chon Ma San and Xin Yuan 18

February 28, 2018

The Government of Maldives takes note of the concerns related to suspected illegal ship-to-ship transfer of goods by Chon Ma San, North Korean-flagged tanker and an alleged Maldivian-flagged tanker by the name of Xin Yuan 18, very seriously, and is currently investigating the matter.

The Transport Authority of Maldives has confirmed that the alleged Maldivian-flagged vessel Xin Yuan 18 is not a vessel registered with that Authority. Further, the Maldivian authorities do not allow flag of convenience to foreign owned vessels to operate outside Maldivian waters, and therefore, the use of the Maldivian flag on Xin Yuan 18 is clearly a violation of the Maldivian laws and regulations.

The Government of Maldives gives high priority to the implementation of all resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, including the Resolutions on Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea).

ENDS