US Seizes Tanker Used to Deliver Oil to North Korea

WASHINGTON - The United States seized a Singapore-owned oil tanker Friday that was used to make illegal oil deliveries to North Korea, the Justice Department said.

A New York federal judge issued a judgment of forfeiture authorizing the United States to take ownership of the M/T Courageous, which is currently in Cambodia. The ship, which has a capacity of 2,734 tons, was purchased by Singaporean national Kwek Kee Seng, who remains at large, according to a Justice Department statement. "Kwek and his co-conspirators engaged in an extensive scheme to evade … U.S. and U.N. sanctions by using vessels under their control to covertly transport fuel to North Korea," the statement said.