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Singapore dumped 4,632 boxes of red wine destined for North Korea
Authorities intercepted the shipment and customs destroyed in yet another crackdown on luxury goods
Min Chao Choy February 19, 2021
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Image: Pixabay (archive photo)
Singapore dumped thousands of cases of dry red wine destined for North Korea in a sanctions-related bust meant to stop smugglers from bringing luxury items into the DPRK.
A new, unpublished report from the U.N. Panel of Experts stated that Singaporean authorities intercepted one shipment of 1,158 cases of wine on Jan. 31, 2020. A Singaporean court then ordered customs to “dispose” of the haul — a total of 4,632 three-liter boxes of wine and 174 cases of assorted South African juices.
Bong Young-shik, a research fellow at Yonsei University Institute for North Korean Studies, said that the incident shows how “desperate” North Korea is to obtain luxury goods. One of the parties named in the shipment’s paperwork was a known North Korean company whose subsidiary was found to have illegally sent three Mercedes Benz cars to the DPRK.
“These are not really very sophisticated and effective ways to subvert international sanctions,” he said.
The unpublished U.N. report also stated that North Korea illegally imported less luxury alcohol in 2020 because of COVID-19-related restrictions. Beyond the thousands of boxes of red wine, the U.N. Panel of Experts only said that it was investigating previous cases involving luxury cars.
Singapore in particular has shown an affinity for cracking down on luxury good smuggling to North Korea in 2020. DPRK national Li Hyon was sentenced to four weeks in jail in June last year for attempting to supply luxury goods to North Korea. Months later, Singaporean citizen Chong “Richard” Hock Yen was also sentenced to three weeks in jail for smuggling nearly $580,000 in luxury goods, and Lim “William” Cheng Hwee was sentenced to two months in jail for selling alcohol to the DPRK.
Authorities intercepted the shipment and customs destroyed in yet another crackdown on luxury goods
Min Chao Choy February 19, 2021
SHARE
Image: Pixabay (archive photo)
Singapore dumped thousands of cases of dry red wine destined for North Korea in a sanctions-related bust meant to stop smugglers from bringing luxury items into the DPRK.
A new, unpublished report from the U.N. Panel of Experts stated that Singaporean authorities intercepted one shipment of 1,158 cases of wine on Jan. 31, 2020. A Singaporean court then ordered customs to “dispose” of the haul — a total of 4,632 three-liter boxes of wine and 174 cases of assorted South African juices.
Bong Young-shik, a research fellow at Yonsei University Institute for North Korean Studies, said that the incident shows how “desperate” North Korea is to obtain luxury goods. One of the parties named in the shipment’s paperwork was a known North Korean company whose subsidiary was found to have illegally sent three Mercedes Benz cars to the DPRK.
“These are not really very sophisticated and effective ways to subvert international sanctions,” he said.
The unpublished U.N. report also stated that North Korea illegally imported less luxury alcohol in 2020 because of COVID-19-related restrictions. Beyond the thousands of boxes of red wine, the U.N. Panel of Experts only said that it was investigating previous cases involving luxury cars.
Singapore in particular has shown an affinity for cracking down on luxury good smuggling to North Korea in 2020. DPRK national Li Hyon was sentenced to four weeks in jail in June last year for attempting to supply luxury goods to North Korea. Months later, Singaporean citizen Chong “Richard” Hock Yen was also sentenced to three weeks in jail for smuggling nearly $580,000 in luxury goods, and Lim “William” Cheng Hwee was sentenced to two months in jail for selling alcohol to the DPRK.
