NEW DELHI -- The Maldivian opposition said Thursday that a vessel suspected of helping North Korea dodge international sanctions is registered in the Maldives and has links to the family of President Abdulla Yameen, who has denied involvement by the South Asian island nation.
A North Korean tanker and a tanker flying the Maldivian flag were spotted next to each other in the East China Sea on Saturday, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday. Based on the vessels' position, the Japanese government "strongly suspects that they conducted ship-to-ship transfers" banned under United Nations Security Council resolutions, the ministry said.
