Crew of Hong Kong ship accused of transferring oil to North Korean vessel questioned in South Korea
Lighthouse Winmore’s 23 Chinese and two Myanmese crew have been detained since November, customs officials say
The crew of a Hong Kong-registered ship have been detained for questioning in South Korea since the tanker was impounded in November for transferring oil to a North Korean vessel and breaching UN sanctions, customs officials said on Saturday.
The Lighthouse Winmore, which was chartered by a Taiwanese company, was impounded by South Korean customs authorities at the port of Yeosu on November 24 following an inspection.
“Since then, inspectors have been coming on board and questioning the crew”, a Korea Customs Service official said.
The tanker has 25 crew members – 23 Chinese citizens and two Myanmar nationals – another customs official at Yeosu said. He could not clarify whether the Chinese were from the mainland or Hong Kong.
The Lighthouse Winmore, chartered by Billions Bunker Group, visited Yeosu on October 11 and loaded up with about 14,000 tonnes of Japanese refined oil before heading towards its purported destination in Taiwan.